Dark Ice
by xXChiasaHimuraXx
Summary: The end is drawing near. It all comes down to this. Will it be the end of the world as we know it, or the end of the most destructive mage in history? "What will you do, Gray Fullbuster, when your back is up against the wall?"
1. Prologue: And So the End Begins

**A/N: **I am so excited for this story right here. (: I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I will enjoy writing it.

_Notes:_ After the prologue, the story is set after an AU Tenrou Arc. I'll explain more next chapter.

_Dub watchers:_ I do use a little bit of Japanese; this little note will be here for you guys in chapters when I do so you know what I'm saying. (: (Though you might be confused about other stuff in this fic anyway, since it runs past the epsiodes that have been dubbed...) In this chapter, all I use is 'oniichan' and '-nii,' both are honorifics for adressing an older brother.

_Disclaimer: _If you honestly think I own Fairy Tail or anything from it then there is something seriously wrong with you. I do, on the other hand, own the plot and Loriel.

* * *

_Prologue – And So the End Begins  
Approx. Year X380_

Loriel sighed, placing her quill back into the inkpot. "Oniichan, what are you thinking?" She stood from her desk, brushing a strand of raven hair from her eyes. She went out from her room, out from her family's home, out to the back garden that, while once beautiful, was now desolate. One lone tree grew at its center; there she found her brother.

He sat in the dirt at the base of the tree, casually leaning against the trunk, staring up at the bleak, cloudy sky. "I was wondering when you were going to join me in this wonderful weather, Loriel," he spoke in a dreamy voice. "Isn't it lovely out today?"

Loriel shuddered in the chill breeze. "I didn't come out to make small talk with you, Zeref-nii. I –." She stopped, took a deep breath, gathered her courage. "I want you to stop this."

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Stop what?"

"You know what. I want you to stop making magic into fearful things. Magic is supposed to be beautiful!"

Zeref scoffed. "That _is_ the _beauty _of magic: I can make it do whatever I want!"

"So you use it to terrorize innocent people? People who, often times, have no use of magic? And those who do, their magic is very limited and undeveloped so they have no way of protecting themselves! We should be _helping _them instead!"

"And why should I help people who cannot help themselves?" he retorted stiffly. "You spend all your time writing books full of silly spells and techniques while we could be ruling over the world with our power!"

Loriel clenched her fists at her sides, a white magic circle appearing under her feet. "Then you leave me no choice, Zeref-nii. I cannot allow this to continue further!"

"You intend to destroy me, your own older brother, Loriel?" Zeref asked, his eyebrow rising again in question. "You don't have the guts to kill me."

Her hands unclenched, a forceful wind beginning to whip around her form. "If you don't believe me, then I shall just have to prove you wrong."

Zeref stood up. "Do you forget so easily, sister?" he scoffed. "We are equal in skill and ability, but while my magic is actually capable of destroying, yours is not."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Well, then, I guess you'll get to see the _true _power of my magic first-hand won't you? Don't count me out so carelessly, Zeref!"

"So informal!" A black magic circle appeared under his feet. "Let's get this over and done with then; I have work to do!"

Light and dark clashed in blinding light, attack after attack, defense then offense then defense again – the repeated pattern – neither mage backing down in the slightest. But then it happened.

Zeref drove her to the ground, pinning her underneath him with his hands on her shoulders. He grinned – an evil sight to behold. "See, Loriel? You can _never _defeat magic that wreaks havoc!"

"Is that so?" she whispered. "Have you yet won, Zeref? I am still here; you have not won yet!"

He brought his knee up to pin her arm to the ground in order to free his right hand. In his hand a black blade started to form. "That is true, but for how much longer?"

Loriel smiled. "You will never win, Oniichan. Someday, your immortality will fail you; someday, _your own descendent _will defeat you with the magic_ I_ created!"

"Impossible! I never intend to marry!"

"No? Perhaps not. But I know for a fact that you've had a mistress or two."

Zeref growled. "It will _never_ be possible for _anyone_ to defeat _me _with _your_ magic; it's weak, and I am far too strong!"

"You're cocky!"

"Enough of this banter! Goodbye, sister!"

As the black blade came down, Loriel uttered her final words to the world in a language that the world would soon forget.

"હું તમને ડાર્ક આઇસ સોંપવું, મારા વંશજ, ત્યાં સુધી સમય આવીશ!"  
(Huṁ tamanē ḍārka ā'isa sōmpavuṁ, mārā vanśaja, tyāṁ sudhī samaya āvīśa!)

* * *

**A/N: **Ah, I'm so mean in not telling you what she said. (: I will say this though, it is a real laugage. (And I can't tell you what it says yet because that would ruin the plot; you'll find out later, I promise!)

_Reviews: _What author doesn't like them? Plus it actually lets me know if anyone is actually interested in reading this. Faves/alerts are awesome too. All of them are inspiration and mean that I'll get updates out faster. (:


	2. Chapter 1 Frozen in Time

**A/N: **And this is was happens when I have an entire day where I don't have to do anything. (: I actually hashed this out on Wednesday; just been editting it ever since.

_Ch. Notes: _AU Tenrou Arc. Yes. I promised to explain this. Basically, it was just as if the S-Class Exam hadn't been interrupted. It went how it was supposed to, with one person making it through. Also, this is not romance of any kind! Just thought I'd throw that out there... Oh, and Isvan. No one really knows where it is, but I did look it up only to find that it is a territory of Fiore. *Shrugs* Make what you will of that.

_Language Notes: _Uhm... I think just 'Hai' which is 'yes/yeah' and 'nakama' which is 'friends/comrades/allies' depending on whom you ask.

_Special Thanks: _Gosh, I love you guys. (: Thanks go out to SnowShiro-Kitsune14, a guest, sereneskydragonslayer, and Rewinsan for reviewing as well as to leoslady4ever for adding to his/her alerts. :D

_Disclaimer: _Nope. Especially not the quote I stole from episode 15.

* * *

_Chapter One – Frozen In Time  
__December 22__nd__, X784_

"Natsu's a MAN!" Elfman bellowed before taking a long draught of his drink.

"Juvia doesn't think that Gray-sama did half-bad either!" Juvia retorted.

Erza slung an arm around the ice mage's shoulders. "You'll make S-Class next year, Gray – of that I have no doubt!"

Master Makarov looked out over the guild hall from his position on the bar with a small smile plastered on his lips as the guild celebrated the induction of their newest S-Class mage, Natsu Dragneel. The group had returned only a few hours before, but already most of the mages were drunk and most that weren't yet were half drunk. It always seemed to happen that way, he mused, as if this were the biggest event of the year – which to some, he supposed, it was. And yet…

"Master?" Mira enquired from behind the bar. "You don't seem quite as lively as you ought to be considering the party…"

"Hm. Just thinking about that final challenge, that's all."

"Oh?"

"Hai," he drug the word out in length slightly. "By the final challenge, the competitors had been narrowed to just Natsu and Gray…"

Mira smiled. "That's not really unexpected considering the two of them have always been rivals."

"Gildarts," Makarov addressed the mage sitting next to him at the bar. "Did anything about that challenge just feel _off_ to you?"

Gildarts sat in thought for a moment. "Maybe. I wasn't sure what, though, so I just shrugged it off."

Makarov nodded once. "You see, Mirajane? It's not just me. I'm sure it wasn't exactly intentional on his part – knowing Gray's determination to be better than Natsu – but it almost felt like he was… _holding back."_

Mira frowned. "But why would he do that?"

"That's exactly what I've been trying to figure out ever since the last challenge ended." He shrugged. "Maybe it's nothing, but Gray has so much potential to do well as an S-Class mage – not that Natsu doesn't deserve it, too, but... I just felt like there was something – or _some reason _– that he wasn't utilizing all of his ability in that battle."

"Maybe he can't fully tap into it yet. Perhaps he would benefit from some additional training from someone who has more experience than he does in ice magic?" Gildarts suggested.

"I'm sure he would, but ice mages seem to be few and far between anymore. I'm not sure there is anyone who could teach him something he doesn't already know."

"Perhaps," Mira amended, "he would benefit just from training alone? You know, going off somewhere for month or so just to train."

"Hm." The master nodded once. "I'll think on this matter more later. But for now… Mira, poor this old man a drink!"

* * *

Gray knocked quietly on the open office door. "You wanted to talk to me?" he asked when the master looked up.

Makarov smiled. "Ah! Of course! Come in, have a seat. Don't look so worried, Gray; you aren't in any trouble."

Despite the master's reassuring words, Gray was leery about what the man wanted to talk to him privately about as he perched on the edge of one of the chairs. It wasn't often that Master Makarov called anyone to his office in the guild building, after all. Secretly, he hoped it wouldn't take too long either; he was still exhausted somehow, even though the exam had ended two days before. He blamed hardly being allowed to sleep during the exam, the long travel distance to get back, and the celebration when they got back for feeling so tired.

"I was quite impressed with your performance in the S-Class Exam," Makarov started, earning him a slightly surprised look from the younger mage. "I've always known you carried a great deal of potential, and I think that potential has truly started to make itself known in the last year or so." This statement earned him a rare smile, though that smile fell with his next words. "But, I feel that you cannot begin to reach your full potential while here at Fairy Tail."

"You're –," Gray gulped. "You're – asking me to leave?"

Master Makarov chuckled. "In a sense, yes, but I'm not kicking you out of the guild, Gray. I just happen to agree with Mira and Gildarts. I think you should take at least a month to go off somewhere, away from all the distractions here, for the sole purpose of training."

Gray could only stare at the master for several moments. "Uhm… t-to train…"

"That's right. I think you could benefit a great deal from doing so."

"I wouldn't know how to go about it, by myself," he muttered, slumping back in the chair he occupied. "The only real 'training' I've ever done I had a teacher for…"

"Training doesn't always involve learning new things. Sometimes, it's just perfecting what you already know and building up strength. Even just defining your own style! Your training can be whatever you want it to be."

"Hm." He sat in silence for a moment. "Can I think about it for a while?"

Makarov nodded once. "Don't think on it too long, though, or you'll forget to ever decide. I won't pressure you to do this, Gray – in fact, after this little meeting is over, I won't ever mention it to you again; it'll be your responsibility to come to me if you decide to do it. I won't pressure you, Gray, but I will say this: You're strong enough as you are to be S-Class material, but the Gray Fullbuster I know has never stopped at 'strong enough.' If you want to improve dramatically in a short amount of time – that is, if you wish to truly live up to your full potential – I would suggest you take this opportunity. That is all."

Gray stood up from the chair and exited the master's office. He ran a hand through his dark hair, deep in thought, as he meandered down the hallway. It sounded like a good idea, but… He wasn't sure he wanted to spend a month alone; he had spent enough time alone in the past. Yet, he knew, it wouldn't be like before; he would always be able to come _home._ To _his _home_. _ To _Fairy Tail._

Decision made, Gray turned on his heel and soon found himself standing back outside the master's office door.

* * *

Gray stood on the train station platform, hands shoved into his pants pockets. He glanced impatiently at the clock only to see that he still had ten minutes before the train would even come in – and then he would have to sit and wait for it to depart again. He sighed audibly. It was almost hard to believe that the day before he'd been reluctant to leave when he was now _dying _to get on his way. Or maybe it wasn't that hard to believe, what with how much Natsu had been rubbing it in his face that he had been the one to make S-Class first.

The train finally arrived – a couple of minutes early, to Gray's relief – and he took his seat to wait for departure. He was counting down the minutes to when that would happen, when, a few minutes before, a last-minute arrival bordered the train. Gray wouldn't have even noticed if it hadn't been one of his own _nakama. _

"Gray!"

He glanced up to the doorway of his cabin. He grinned slightly. At least it wasn't Natsu, after all. "Erza. Fancy seeing you here."

She nodded as she stepped inside and sat down opposite him. "Took a solo job in Ahora."

"This close to Christmas?"

"Shouldn't take more than a day." She shrugged, then gave him a puzzled look. "Where are you off to? I was going to ask you to accompany me, but Mira didn't know where you were."

"Ah," he was momentarily stumped. After all, he hadn't expected to run into anyone on a train headed North-East; not many requests came from that area of Fiore since there weren't many towns near the border. He sighed; there was no point in trying to come up with an excuse – she could always see right through him. "I'm leaving for a while – not permanently, of course; I'll only be gone a month." When Erza continued to stare at him with a searching gaze, he gave in the location with a sigh. "I'm going back to Isvan."

Erza's brow furrowed slightly. "Back to where you grew up? Why?"

He looked down at where his hands rested limply in his lap, brow furrowing slightly. "It's where I learned Ice Creation magic. I just thought… Well, maybe it would be a good place to… train."

The look on Erza's face changed to one of understanding. "I see." She smiled. "Good for you, Gray. Not many mages take the time to better themselves outside of jobs. Best of luck to you."

He met her gaze again, giving her a rare smile. "I must admit, I'll be glad for the company – at least to Ahora. I think I'd go crazy taking the train, alone, all the way there."

* * *

After a grueling, long trip – uncomfortable sleep on the train included – Gray finally stepped out of the train station and into the diminishing light of the town nearest to where his old mentor's house was located. As if he hadn't been gone for ten, long years, Gray didn't hesitate in which direction to take. As he walked through the town, he couldn't help but to think how odd it was that nothing had changed since he'd left. The grocer's, the meat market, the library – everything was exactly how it had been back then.

With a heavy sigh, he took a road out of town and started for his 'training grounds' – Ur's home in the mountains. It had taken a good couple of hours to walk the distance when he was younger, but this time, it took him far less to reach the little cabin he had once called home. As he gazed at the small building, he was amazed it was still standing after all of this time of not being used. He had hoped for this, of course, but he hadn't expected it.

He slowly mounted the steps, the wood groaning in protest under his weight. Turning the knob, he was slightly surprised to find it unlocked – but, then again, the last time she had left this place, she'd had much more on her mind than someone braking in. As he pushed the door open, looking around in the dim light, a flood of memories cascaded over his mind. Nothing had changed since then – nothing except the people of those memories.

Closing the door behind him, Gray made his way over to the wood box – still full – and started a fire in the fire place. It would be dark soon, and, as accustomed to the cold as he was, he certainly didn't want to freeze to death while he slept. Curling up on the floor in a blanket, he decided to try to get some rest. He would begin training in the morning, so he would need a good night's rest, though he wondered if that was possible in a place so full of memories. As sleep continued to evade him, he began to question his decision to come here. But then Lyon's words from years before drifted into his thoughts – the same words that had persuaded him to come back after all these years.

"_Where did I learn it? Because you wouldn't teach me any powerful magic, I had to read the spell books in your storehouse!"_

Ur's storehouse… He didn't know what he would find there now, but he figured it was certainly worth a shot. She had kept so much junk in there, she had always warned them to be careful when they went in looking for anything; she had always said, 'If you don't come back in ten minutes, I'll send in a search party!' even though the shed was small – that was testament to just how much junk she had shoved in it over the years. Ur… Somehow, the thought of his old mentor was enough to calm his mind, and he soon found it lulling him into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

The following morning dawned bright, the sun shining down through a cloudless sky, as Gray forced open the storehouse door. The roof had partially given way in the far right corner, resulting in small piles of snow even on the inside. Many things were stored in the small shed – everything from gardening tools to random pieces of sports equipment – but the only thing that interested Gray was the small bookcase shoved up against the back wall.

He carefully made his way through the piles of snow and miscellaneous junk until he was within reach of the books. As he read the titles, he was surprised to find that not all of them were books on Ice Creation magic. In fact, by the time had search through all the titles, he was surprised to find that out of all of the books there, only six of them were on magic and, of those six, on three where actually devoted to _ice _magic. He briefly wondered why she even had them before the three that didn't apply to him were quickly discarded back to the shelf; the three that did apply, he took with him back to the house.

He sat down on the front porch, breathing in the cold, winter air. He almost shivered; winters in Magnolia certainly weren't warm, but they were definitely warmer than winters in Isvan – it was turning him soft, he thought with a wry smile. He set two of the books beside him, flipping open the cover of the third one. He frowned at the contents of the first page. Basics. It was just the basics – the very first things Ur had taught him. He flipped through the pages quickly before discarding the book to the side. That one obviously wasn't going to help him much.

Much to his chagrin, the second book was much the same. He sighed in frustration as he picked up the last book – but he quickly discarded it as well. It was the thinnest of the three, and for good reason, too, he thought. He had realized upon looking in it that the entire book was on Iced Shell. He was already confident he could use the spell if push came to shove, but he was certain he would never have to – that and if he ever did, he was sure Natsu would find a way to bring him back just so his comrade could kill him for using it.

He frowned. Ur had been so very powerful, yet she only had books detailing the basics with one containing a more complex spell. Surely she had more than that? Or, maybe, it was just as Master Makarov had told him before he had left for the train station: _"Some of the most powerful mages are those who have trained with what they know, not because they have the most powerful spells. A diamond, after all, is simply refined coal. Magic is much the same." _He sighed before standing up, picking up the three books, and heading inside the house. He placed them gently on the table. He looked around the small main room, his eyes finally coming to rest on a closed door.

"_Ur, what's in here?" – "That was my daughter's room, Gray. It is the only place I will ever forbid you from entering."_

His frown deepened. A strange memory to surface at a time like this. But then he remembered something else, the one time he _had _seen the inside of Ultear's room. Against one wall had been a bookcase. And Ur had been teaching her daughter Ice Creation magic. He turned abruptly and made a B-line for the room. Hesitantly, he turned the knob and pushed the door open. The inside was just as it had been the only other time he had ever seen inside. He knelt next to the small bookcase and, as he started to read the titles, his eyes grew wide. On the top self were five, numbered volumes in pristine condition – all of them Ice Creation. Next to those books were two others, much thinner than the volumes. One of them was titled _A History of Ice Creation; _the other, _Ice – Advanced._

The first two volumes of the five were the same as the ones he had found in the storehouse behind the cabin. The third also only contained magic Ur had already been able to teach him. He had been with her such a short amount of time, yet she had been able to teach him so much. He vaguely wondered if it was normal to learn Creation magic so quickly before pulling the forth volume from the shelf. The first twenty or so pages held nothing new to him, but he quickly located forms of magic he hadn't yet seen.

He smiled. His training could now officially begin.

* * *

_January 21__st__, X785_

Gray sighed as he watched the blizzard swirling snow outside the window. He was supposed to be boarding a train tonight, but that was obviously not going to happen now. And yet, he didn't mind much, being stuck here an extra few days. Sure, he might make Master Makarov and Erza (the only two people who knew where he was and when he was returning) worry, but he was sure they could figure out and understand why he had been delayed.

Looking back at the past month, he was satisfied – and grateful that he had taken the opportunity when the master had offered it. In the time he had been away from Fairy Tail, he had redefined his style and mastered the remainder of the fourth volume and part of the fifth, adding an arsenal of new and powerful techniques to what he had already had access to.

But, as much as he had ended up enjoying time to himself, he had to admit that he was beginning to miss everyone back at the guild, even Natsu – or fighting him in the guild hall on an almost daily basis, anyway.

He sighed, flipping open the fifth volume to where he had left off. He wouldn't work on any spells inside – for fear of destroying the place – but, he figured, he could at least look for more to work on in the future when he had time. Hours passed by as he absent-mindedly continued to flip pages, skimming the spells to see if he wanted to learn them, but he was shocked into awareness when there suddenly weren't any more pages to be turned. He frowned as he examined the book. "Someone removed these pages," he mumbled to himself. "Why? And where are they now?"

As if in answer to his question, the ceiling in the corner of the room next to him started to creak, the wood started to splinter, and, before Gray could react, an icy blast of wind and snow surrounded him as the ceiling gave way, the fire instantly extinguished, plunging the cabin into darkness.

It took only a moment for Gray to take control of the situation, creating an ice ceiling with his magic to cover the hole the storm had caused. He quickly relit the fire that had been blown out with wood that had luckily been kept dry enough in the wood box.

The fire, unfortunately, was the only easy fix. As he took in the main room, debris and snow everywhere, he heaved a heavy sigh. It was going to be a long night at this rate, and it was only just after ten at night! He grabbed the broom from the corner opposite the one that had collapsed and started to sweep the debris and snow into one corner.

_Thump!_

He stopped sweeping, bending down to see what odd object the broom had hit. Clearly, it was not wood. As he moved away some debris from the top, he found himself staring down at a narrow-yet-heavy-looking metal box. His brow furrowed. It made sense, he supposed, that the ceiling had collapsed right there with the extra weight it had obviously been holding up. He wrapped his fingers around the sides and heaved it up out of the debris and onto the table. On a whim, he tried to open it – and was surprised when the lid easily lifted away. What he saw made him gasp.

Inside the box lay the missing pages.

The furrow in his brow deepened as he pulled the pages from their place. "Someone hid them," he mumbled. "But why? Why would they have been hidden when they've been written in a lost language? No one can read them anymore…" He paused examining the pages for a moment. Yes, this was definitely one of five languages that had been completely lost. While there were still a few books that contained them – he had seen them in a museum once with his parents – no one could interpret them anymore. He stared at the artistic scrawl trying – and failing – to make sense of the curving figures.

આ પાનાંઓ જોડણી સમાવે બધા બેસે અંત.

"Why were you hidden?" he whispered. "What secrets do you hide?"

And, though he could not read it, Gray found himself mesmerized by the text anyway.

આ પાનાંઓ જોડણી સમાવે બધા બેસે અંત.

"Ā pānāṁō jōḍaṇī samāvē badhā bēsē anta." Gray stepped back suddenly, mouth agape at the words that had suddenly come from it, flinging the papers away from him and onto the table. "What the –! Did I just –! _Impossible!_" Breathing unsteadily, hands shaking, eyes wide, he hesitantly picked the pages up again. In complete horror, he read the first line of the text.

"These pages contain the spell to end all spells."


	3. Chapter 2 Return

**A/N: **Must shorter than last time - sorry about that, but when I find the perfect place to stop... (:

_Ch. Notes: _Don't think I have any for this chapter, actually. Oh, except for Pergrande Kingdom. It's an actual place according to the wikia. It's the furthest inhabited land to the east. Oh, and the S-Class: Sorry, no Laxus since he wasn't reinstated until after the Tenrou Arc.

_Language Notes: _'Hai' again, which is 'yes,' 'gomen' is 'sorry,' and 'jii-chan' is 'old man/gramps': the way Natsu and Gray most commonly refer to Makarov.

_Special Thanks: _For reviewing: ElodieKumari94, Snowshiro-Kitsune14, leoslady4ever, sereneskydragonslayer, and Rewinsan. For adding to faves/alerts: ElodieKumari94, Rin Vastia Fullbuster, sereneskydragonslayer, Icarus Ascendent, and Snowkawasagi. Arigato mina!

_Disclaimer: _You really think I own Fairy Tail? If that's the case, I should be working on next week's double release of the manga instead of this... Heck, this would _be in the manga!_

* * *

_Chapter Two – Return  
__January 21__st__, X785_

"Zeref has returned."

Despite how casually the master stated this fact, his first words to the mages carried with them a distinct note of caution.

"He, himself, has yet to be seen," Makarov continued, "but it is evident that he is, once again, at work. Three never-before-seen demons have been spotted crossing the border from the Unknown into Pergrande Kingdom. While it is true that perhaps they had been there for the past four hundred years, it seems unlikely that they would move only now, considering they were obviously created for destruction, just like all the others Zeref created. I am only telling the four of you this because if he is truly on the move again, I am sure he will seek to take down the most powerful of us mages first as we would pose the greatest threat to him. I want you to keep the utmost of caution on any jobs you would take from now on. And keep all of this to _yourselves_, please; there is no reason to put the rest of the guild into a panic about something that is still a bit speculation for the time being. That is all."

The four S-Class mages silently stood from their chairs in Master Makarov's office and just as silently filed out into the hallway before anyone spoke.

"Let him come," Natsu spoke nonchalantly. "I'm not afraid of him! None of us should be; we'll just find a way to pound him into the ground like always!"

Erza sighed in irritation as Gildarts addressed the youngest S-Class. "I'm not sure history has stuck with you very well, Natsu. Do you even know who Zeref is?"

"He created a bunch of demons a long time ago. So what?"

"It's a bit more than that. Deliora… Lullaby… Yes, he did create them as well as a multitude of other demons. But he did far more than that. Before Zeref found that those capable of magic could harness and strengthen that ability, magic was simply something incredibly undefined that no one really understood how to use. But he found he could do so much more with it. All of the destruction that any type of magic is capable of, Zeref is responsible for. He even went as far as to kill his own sister when she tried to stop him evil deeds. Zeref rightfully earned his title of the greatest mage in history – but he is a monster all-the-same. And he is certainly not one I would want to tangle with."

It took a full minute for Natsu to find his voice again. "But magic can still be beautiful, too. He didn't succeed in completely corrupting it; so there is still a chance that someone could defeat him, right?"

Gildarts thought for a moment. "You have his sister to thank for that. If it hadn't been for Loriel, Zeref surely would have corrupted magic completely. She was equal in strength and ability, after all; he couldn't reverse what she had written into time. So, yes, I suppose it would be possible. And yet, I have my doubts that it would be. Some historians believe she was actually _more _powerful than her brother, yet she couldn't defeat him. So is her magic actually capable of such a thing? That is doubtful. And, on the other side of it, could someone actually be able to harness a destructive ability that could surpass the creator of destruction? That is doubtful, too." He sighed heavily. "All I know for certain, Natsu, is that if Zeref really has come out after all of these years, it can't be good news."

"We can only hope," Mira added quietly, "that those demons really were just further north than known civilization all this time."

"Which is highly unlikely," Erza stated. "I think that Master is right; Zeref has returned. But why now, I wonder? And how long will it be before he acts against those of us here in Fiore?"

* * *

_January 26__th__, X785_

"Ah, it's good to finally be home!" Gray sighed as he pushed open the doors to the surprisingly-quiet guild hall. It only took one glance around the place for the ice mage to discover why it was so quiet – hardly anyone was there, and, given the fact that it was the middle of afternoon, this was actually quite strange. Although, he was almost glad for the emptiness of the hall when he noticed an angry redhead making her way towards him.

"Gray!" she snapped. "Where have you been? You were supposed to be back four days ago!"

He offered her an apologetic grin. "Gomen, Erza. Bad weather up north; got snowed in for a couple of days while they cleared the tracks."

Erza's expression softened only slightly. "I see."

Lucy suddenly appeared out of nowhere from behind the requip mage, a smile plastered on her face. "Welcome back, Gray! How'd it go? You were gone for quite a long time on that job… It must have really been something!"

Gray looked at the blonde blankly for a moment before realizing that everyone had probably just assumed he had taken a job and so had not been told the truth about his whereabouts. He glanced at Erza who shrugged.

"No one asked, so I didn't say anything."

Lucy's expression quickly turned to one of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I… wasn't really on a job, _per se_," Gray finally answered.

"Huh? Then where have you been the last month?"

Gray opened his mouth to respond but never got the chance.

"Popsicle!"

The ice mage turned towards the voice of his rival with an evil-looking smirk on his lips. "Well, if it isn't Lizard Boy!"

Erza sighed as the two boys ran at each other. "To think I actually missed this," she muttered. She turned to Lucy. "I'll explain since Gray is suddenly busy; c'mon."

* * *

"I'm glad to see you have made it back, safe and sound," Master Makarov addressed the young mage seated at the bar as he, himself, sat down on the bar. "How did your training go?"

"Very well," Gray answered before taking a swig of his drink. "I'm glad I went." He reached down to his bag – which he still had since he had gone straight to the guild upon his return and had yet to leave the hall – and pulled out the two books he had chosen to bring back from Isvan with him. "Brought these back with me." He handed them to the master. "Figured I could still use them, maybe; continue to study them when I have a free moment, ya know?"

Makarov read the title of the one on top, his eyebrow rising: _Ice – Advanced._ "This is a rare find, indeed. I can only wonder where your mentor even found it considering there are only a few copies left in print." He met Gray's gaze. "If you choose to learn anything from this book, be very careful with what you select. This is very powerful magic – hence why only a very few copies remain."

Gray nodded. "Do you suppose that book is why she was practically considered one of the ten Saints? Because she knew how to use those spells?"

"Hm. Perhaps." Makarov set the first book aside to see the cover of the second. Almost instantly, all the color drained from his face.

"Jii-chan?" Gray asked in alarm.

"Where did you find this, Gray?" he asked quietly in return.

The ice mage was taken slightly aback. "Uh… The same place I found the other four volumes before it and that other book I brought back… Jii-chan, what's going on?"

"This book," he gasped, "shouldn't exist! There was only ever one copy of it, and that copy disappeared four hundred years ago!"

"Then how did Ur find it?" Gray breathed, eyes widening slightly.

"That I have no idea. But for the time being, I hope you will understand that it is in our best interest to tell no one of this book. I think I should keep it here in the guild, for safe keeping. Many powerful people would do anything to get their hands on something of this value."

"You seem afraid of something," Gray observed with a frown.

"Hai, I suppose I am," Makarov admitted. "You should have learned by now that this old man is quite the sucker for old history and legends; well, this book here is a legend all of its own. It is said that Loriel, the younger sister of the great mage, Zeref, is the author of many of the books on magic we still use today, most known of those being the ones she wrote on Ice Creation magic. They are the most known for a couple of reasons. For one thing, they are the most widely used and recognized for the training of young mages. But for legend, it is because it is told that those volumes are the last techniques she was able to write before her death at the hands of her own brother. Furthermore, the legend states that, on the final pages of the final volume, in her last moments, she created the most powerful spell that has ever been known: 'The spell to end all spells.' What that spell truly entails, however, no one knows since no one has ever seen it." The master shrugged. "If it even exists, I doubt anyone would be able to read it anyway, since the legend also states that it was written in one of the languages now lost, Gujarati. However, I'm honestly more concerned that some Dark Guild would come and try to take it by whatever means necessary because of its legendary status than I am about some supposed spell. It will simply be safer here at the guild – as long as no one knows it's here, anyway."

Gray tried to keep a calm façade as the words from the first line of those torn-out pages played in his mind. _These pages contain the spell to end all spells…_ He was torn as to whether or not he should tell the master what had happened six days before. The whole situation seemed unreal; he wanted to be able to tell someone about it, yet he was afraid whomever he told would think him out of his mind. He tried to shrug the whole thing off. So what if he could suddenly read a language that had been lost? That didn't mean a thing! … Did it? As hard as he tried, he simply couldn't shake the heavy, foreboding feeling sitting in his chest. And, as much as he wanted to say something, to find some kind of answer about what was going on or at least some kind of assurance that he wasn't mad in the head, he couldn't find his voice. In the end, he could only nod his head once, giving his permission for the book to stay in the guild.

Without another word between them, Master Makarov stood back up, hopped off the bar, and headed up the stairs towards his office, book in hand.

Gray frowned at Makarov's retreating figure. The master's words didn't seem to add up to him, only causing to further his frustration and confusion about the situation. If he wasn't worried about what the legend contained, why did he bother telling it? It felt like the old man had left something out of that story of his – something very important. Gray rubbed his temples as a headache started to form. He needed to clear his head, forget about all of this non-sense. Because he would convince himself that's all it was: non-sense. Slowly he stood up from the bar and headed for the mission board. "Oi! Natsu! Haven't you decided on a job yet?"

* * *

Makarov stood at the window of his office, watching the foursome leave the guild, laughing and talking as they headed for the train station. When they were out of sight, he turned back to the volume sitting innocently on his desk.

"So this book is not a legend after all," he mused. "It actually exists somehow. Perhaps the rest of the legend is, then, true as well?" He flipped open the cover and glanced at the first line which was written in the tongue that was still most common in Fiore. Not caring much for the content, he flipped to the back of the book; after all, the old story stated that the legendary spell was contained on the last pages. He frowned, quickly noticing exactly what Gray had: The final pages were missing – torn out. Makarov's frown deepened. "Can it really be true?" he breathed. "The pages have been removed, yes, but what was contained on them? Could it possibly be…?" With a heavy sigh, he closed the book and placed it in a secret compartment in one of the desk drawers. He sat down in his chair, head falling into his hands. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the pieces fit perfectly. His untapped potential, coming across this book, Zeref awakening after nearly four hundred years... "Gray… Can it be true? Are you truly the descendent that the legend speaks of?

"Are you truly the one who can defeat Zeref?"


	4. Chapter 3 The Black Mage

**A/N: **Finally finished this today after getting stuck for days on end about how to start it out! I am so excited about how this turned out that I can't wait a day longer to post it! So, here it is. (: ...By the way, I was listening to Requiem for a Dream while proofing this... OH MAN. I don't know, it just fits some how. O.o

_Ch. Notes: _Years are approximate because they really don't matter until the last one. For that one, well, the wikia is wrong. It has to be. I did the math myself and used what I got, so... Not much Gray in this one, sorry, because we take a step back in time. (: Lots of small sections but they all fit together... And I had to make up the name of a town.

_Language Notes: _Uh, just 'hai' again and '-sama' which is essentially using 'Mr.' in English, I do believe.

_DID YOU KNOW? _Just a little tid-bit for the chapter: Even though Zeref calls her magic weak, he still uses Loriel's fortunetelling magic. (:

_Special Thanks: _For Reviewing: Kairaita, Rewinsan, sereneskydragonslayer, leoslady4ever, ElodieKumari94, and a guest known only as 'someone.' For faves/alerts: The Awesome God Apollo and jazzmonkey. Seriously, guys; I do a little happy dance when I see emails for this stuff in my inbox! :D

_Disclaimer: _I only own three things in this chapter: The plot, and two OC's which, for the moment, will remain nameless so if anyone is actually reading this it won't give anything away. (:

* * *

_Chapter Three – The Black Mage  
__Approx. Year X410_

Zeref was never one to be superstitious or to just buy into the empty threats of others. That was why he didn't give a second thought to the threat his sister had given right before he had killed her – it was empty, after all; her magic couldn't possibly ever defeat him! She may have been the more powerful of the two of them, but the magic she had created was weak. He would rule the world one day, and there wasn't anything – or anyone – who could possibly do a thing about it!

Or so he thought.

"You're sure you can't tell me _how _this demise comes about?"

"I am sorry, Zeref-sama, but my cards only tell me what is going to happen, not how it happens. I can only tell you that if you're not careful, you'll be done-in before you are able to rule the nations."

Zeref turned away from the man he, himself, had so meticulously trained in magic. Was it possible that the threat she had left thirty years before hadn't been empty? Then it dawned on him. His eyes widened slightly as he remembered something she had said to him only once – the very reason, as a child, he had refused to ever play strategy games with her. _"All your planning is futile, you know," _she had said. _"I can see what you're planning before you even plan it!"_ That was right; she had the ability to see into the future, and, to a certain extent, control time. Why had he not realized this before? It meant her threat was not empty; she had already seen what would happen to him! Without turning around to face the man, Zeref addressed him. "Send the general of my armed forces to me immediately. Dismissed."

The fortuneteller bowed low before exiting. Less than twenty minutes later, a knock sounded on the door followed by it being opened and then closed behind the man who had knocked. "You wished to see me, Zeref-sama?"

"Hai. I have a special job for you, General," he ordered the man without even bothering to turn around. "I have the names of a few people who need to be carefully done away with – them and their families, all of their children, grandchildren, everyone. Understood?"

"Aye, Sir. I will send out the best of my men right away."

"I'm afraid it may not be so simple. I haven't any idea where any of them are at the current time. That is your task: To locate them. I will personally take care of the rest."

"Aye, Sir. I will still be sending my best. I will report to you the instant anyone knows any location for any of the people. Will that be all, Sir?"

"Hai. The list is on my desk, there. You are dismissed."

The general strode forward, picked up the list and folded it once before stowing it in the inside pocket of his coat, and quickly bowed before taking his leave.

Zeref sighed as he stared out the window in front him, a displeased frown etched on his face. This was her fault, he was certain of it; she had set it up, and now he was being told that there was truth to her words. Even in death, she would be his downfall. But he wouldn't let that happen now that he knew it was true. Now that he knew the truth, he could put an end to it once and for all. He smiled. She had always been good at strategy anyway, even without the help of seeing the future, but this was one game she would not be winning.

* * *

_Approx. Year X500_

"What do you mean _demise is still in my future?"_ Zeref growled, eyes narrowed menacingly at the poor fortuneteller.

The man gulped. "Someone must have slipped under the radar," he suggested timidly.

"Impossible! It's _impossible! _Every woman I ever seduced and every child and every grandchild of hers is dead!"

"I don't know what to tell you," the man quietly stated, confused as to what the last sentence had to do with anything. "Maybe it will be someone you don't suspect…"

"No!" Zeref countered. "I know who it has to be! …But how could someone have slipped away without my knowing? Tell the general to continue searching and to kill anyone with the same last names as those I have already sought out! Go! Be off with you!"

The fortuneteller quickly bowed before scurrying off to find the head of the black mage's armed forces.

Zeref slammed his fist into the wall next him. _No!_ She would _not_ get the better of him! It didn't matter how long the search would take; he would exterminate every last person of his lineage. Almost a hundred years had passed already; what was a few more of searching, when, in the end, he would get what he wanted? The thought made him smile.

He was immortal, after all; he had all the time in the world to make his plans succeed!

* * *

_Approx. Year X630_

"And you took care of the matter _fully _this time?"

"Aye, Sir. Well, not exactly, Sir. You see, Sir, the reason we couldn't find her in the first place was because the child was a girl. When she married, her last name obviously changed. Unfortunately, she's already been dead for two years. She had a son, but he is nowhere to be found. We will keep looking, Sir."

Zeref gave a low growl. "Two hundred years, we have been at this. How is it that every time we are down to one, he or she somehow gives us the slip?"

"I don't know, Zeref-sama." The general sighed. "But I promise you, I have my eyes everywhere; he won't remain hidden for thirty years like that girl."

"He had _better not,"_ Zeref spat. "Or I'll be having _your head _next, General Milkovich!"

Recognizing the informal dismissal, the general bowed low before exiting the chamber, the fortuneteller close behind him.

"Don't his threats scare you, Yukio? Maybe it's time you end your crusade; eventually he'll either find out about your treachery or find that descendant himself, you know, when he tires of waiting on you," the fortuneteller spoke softly.

General Milkovich scoffed lightly. "What reason do I have to fear that man? I fear more for what will happen to this world if he can get his claws further into it than he already has. No, I will not give up, not when my grandmother risked her life to keep those magic books safe; I will not give up when I did not know Zeref's true intentions upon joining his service. He promised to teach me weapons magic, give me immortality, just like everyone else here; that was the only reason I agreed. No, I will not turn from my mission when I do not agree with his." He glanced at his friend. "You are not thinking of betraying me, are you, Dragan Clive?"

Dragan only stared straight ahead as they continued walking. "My cards will not reveal what our futures hold. This troubles me greatly, Yukio." He forced a smile as he glanced at his friend. "But I will not dessert you nor betray you. I only fear for your life; when I deliver bad news, I have no control over what I have to say. _You_, on the other hand…"

Yukio Milkovich nodded once. "I know. I do not fear death, so you need not worry. I knew my life was forfeit the instant I decided to protect the Coming One. I thank you for that, Dragan; without your help, I wouldn't know whom I need to protect."

"We can only hope to grant the Coming One enough time before we, ourselves, are discovered by Zeref."

* * *

_Year X774_

"I grow tired of this cat-and-mouse game we are playing," Zeref stated calmly, his hands clasped behind his back as he stared out the window. "I am beginning to think that Colonel Tearm could do better than you are right now. I do not wish to replace you after all of your years of service, but I am starting to see that perhaps someone could do better. Do we understand each other, General?"

General Milkovich swallowed visibly. He was running out of time; but even he had to wonder how _much _more time it would be until the Coming One came. He had passed well over three hundred years of service to the black mage; how much longer could the One foretold to them need? Unless, of course, he truly was just a legend. Yukio quickly pushed that thought away; he _would not_ believe his life-long mission to be futile, not after all of this time. "I understand, Zeref-sama."

"I do hope so. I would hate to rid the world of such a powerful mage as you have proven to be. Find me that woman by the end of the month, General, and you just may redeem yourself."

Yukio bowed low before quickly exiting the chamber. One month. He had only one month to ensure the Coming One's safety. Without a second thought, he turned down the corridor, away from his own chambers, to those of his friend. Without bothering to knock, he shoved open the door. "We have a problem, Dragan."

The fortuneteller looked up in surprise at Yukio's sudden entrance. "What?"

"I have only one more month to 'find' the woman. Please tell me that is enough time."

"As a matter of fact, it is. The cards tell me that this 'Aria Trayner-Fullbuster' has a son. Why it would not tell me earlier than today, I do not know, because the child is certainly not a new-born baby. Give it a week and a few days, and then tell Zeref you have found her. I will send out my messenger to retrieve the boy as soon as I can find a reason to send him to Borra in Isvan." He sighed. "With any luck, Ogami will have no trouble, though that has certainly never been the case…"

The general sighed with relief. "Thank all that is good."

Dragan cleared his throat. "There is one other thing you should know, Yukio…" His voice dropped to barely a whisper. "About the young boy…"

* * *

Zeref turned away from the door, seething anger evident in his countenance, as he silently stormed away. All of these years! All of these years he had _trusted _General Milkovich only to find out now that the man was a _traitor!_ He had obviously known for some time about the whereabouts of the woman, yet had done nothing! But what was worse, they were helping the offspring to escape! It was no wonder to him now why it had taken nearly four hundred years to clear up this mess – not that he hadn't been suspicious of a mole for the last two hundred or so. But now he knew, at least, what would have to be done, where he would have to go. No. He had a better plan than going there himself; that would draw too much attention from the General and, probably, from the fortuneteller as well. No, he would simply make it look like an accident to the outside world, and he wouldn't even have to leave his chambers!

As he entered his chamber again, he slammed the door shut, bolting it closed. Taking up position in the middle of the floor, a black magic circle appeared under him. In a matter of moments, the spell – the 'directions' – were complete. Zeref smiled. Now all he had to do was sit back and wait.

* * *

"Please eat your peas, sweetheart; they're good for you."

The eight-year old boy simply continued to push the green vegetable around his plate, a frown planted on his face. "But they taste gross…"

"Put a little butter on them; that'll mask the taste a little."

"They still taste gross," he mumbled, still pushing the peas around his plate.

"Don't talk back to your mother," the boy's father spoke. "Just eat them."

Just as the boy was about to protest again, a fierce rumbling began to shake the ground, rattling the dishes and lamps. Above the rumbling, the small family could hear the terrible, loud roar of a creature.

The father's eyes grew wide. "No… I had hoped that _demon _wouldn't come here…" He stood abruptly, grabbing his jacket as he moved for the kitchen door. His wife tried to stop him by grabbing his arm. He turned back to face her. "You know I have to try to help. I won't let it take everything I hold so dear to me." She nodded once before he bent slightly to give her a light kiss on the lips. Then he turned to his only son. "Take care of your mother. I love you both." And then he was gone out the door.

In a matter of minutes, the boy's mother, too, was heading for the door as she threw her jacket on. "Mama, you can't!"

Kneeling down next to him, she embraced him. "I know your father doesn't want me out there, but, just like him, I won't let that thing take everything that I love from me." She pulled back only to see her son close to tears. "Stay here, okay? But if the battle finds its way here, I want you to run – to run faster and harder than you have ever run in your life. I love you so, so much!" Without another word, she rose from the floor and sprinted out the door.

The boy followed her out, but only as far as the back step. From there he watched as the few mages of the town worked their magic and as the monster swiftly defeated everything hurled its way. He couldn't see the mages as they fought, but he did see as the attacks became less and less frequent. And then – and then a blazing streak of fire flew through the city, buildings exploding, collapsing, catching on fire. The boy was frozen. He knew he should start running, try to get away from the town, but he couldn't seem to find his feet.

The monster turned towards him. Its mouth opened. Fire shot forth.

A blinding blue-white light.

Then: nothing but black.

* * *

General Milkovich knocked on the door and patiently waited until Zeref beckoned him inside. He bowed low as he stated his news. "Zeref-sama, we have located the woman. What action would you require of me?"

"Nothing at all," Zeref replied calmly. "It has been taken care of already."

Yukio paled significantly. "I'm sorry, Sir, but did I hear you correctly?"

"Hai. I already know what you've been up to these past three hundred years, Milkovich. I know how you and that damned fortuneteller have been protecting one person in my lineage – the very people I have sought to eliminate. I already know. I heard him telling you ten days ago. Well, your attempt all these long years has been futile; Deliora has finished the job for you. My lovely demon did much more damage than you would have, but it's a small price to pay in the end. The woman and the child are dead." Zeref stood from where he was seated behind his desk and slowly made his way around it. As he stopped in front of it, a black magic circle appeared under his feet. "And you are soon to follow."

"You're wrong."

Zeref turned to the fortuneteller who had been sitting off to the side for the entire exchange. "Excuse me?"

"I said that you're wrong, Zeref. My cards tell me that the boy is still alive." Dragan glanced down at the cards in his hand before meeting the black mage's gaze full-on. "He's still alive, Zeref. That just proves that not even you can kill the Coming One – for he is already here, and he is obviously being protected by some power greater than yours. You've lost, Zeref."

Milkovich smiled slightly. "In that case, kill me if you want, Zeref. I don't care anymore. I have done my duty. Go ahead. Unless you're afraid! I do not fear death, _black mage,_ but perhaps you should! The One foretold to us is here!

"And you will not so easily defeat him!"


	5. Chapter 4 Puzzle Pieces

**A/N:** Yay! Another chapter! A few more pieces of the puzzle come together just to form more questions! Enjoy! (:

_Ch. Notes:_ Yes, Lyon is still head-over-heels for Juvia; though he didn't meet her under the same circumstances, obviously, he still saw her one day at Fairy Tail while passing through on job when he stopped to to say 'hey' to Gray. (:

_Language Notes: _Let's see... 'Jii-chan' again which, in case you don't remember, is 'old man/gramps', 'iie' which is 'no/nope', 'gomen'nasai/gomen' which is 'I'm sorry/sorry', and '-sensei' which is the honorific used for a teacher (though it can also stand alone).

_Mood Music: _A new section that you might see pop up once in a while. (: For this chapter, Epic Music of All Times: The Way. (Especially towards the end... (:)

_Special Thanks: _For Reviewing: ElodieKumari94, sereneskydragonslayer, The Awesome God Apollo, Rewinsan, Miroh, and leoslady4ever. For adding to faves/alerts: XxXSilentAngelxXx, Miroh, Musica Masaharu, Zereferef, and silvagirl28. I friggin love you guys! :D

_Disclaimer: _I hope we have established by now that I don't own Fairy Tail or any of the characters, just the plot and a few OC's I slip in from time to time.

* * *

_Chapter Four – Puzzle Pieces  
__January 31__st__, X785_

Gray sat at the bar, absent-mindedly pushing around the food that was left on his plate, his head resting on his left hand. He hadn't slept well the night before, and, with everything on his mind, the lack of sleep certainly wasn't helpful in sorting out those thoughts. As much as he wanted to ignore them, those strange pages continued to weigh heavily on his mind. He had yet to read past the first line, not because he wasn't curious – no, that wasn't it at all; it was more out of – dare he admit it? – fear. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what those pages contained, what it meant for him that he could actually read and understand the language. As much as he wished he could forget about them, he knew he wouldn't be able to do so. Something kept pulling him back to those riddled words… _The spell to end all spells… _What did that even mean?

And then there was that mysterious note stuck to his front door that morning. He frowned at the thought of what it had said. _In your time of greatest need, Chosen One, do not fear. I will protect you until the last, but if you are afraid, there will be nothing I can do for you. If you are afraid, it will destroy you. Do not be afraid, for there is no reason to fear. _If those words were meant to be comfort, why did they only serve to creep him out? Maybe it was the fact that someone he evidently didn't know knew where he lived. Maybe it was because said person didn't bother to even leave a name on the note. Maybe it was the way the sender addressed him as the '_Chosen One_.' What in the world was up with that? He shook his head. No, it was definitely a combination of all three that gave him the creeps.

Caught in his own thoughts, Gray failed to notice the silver-blue-haired mage that came up behind him until the mage's words broke through the haze of his mind. "What? Don't you like peas, Gray?"

The voice behind him jolted Gray back to the present. He turned to look at the person as he answered. "Iie. Never have, really." He paused for a moment. "Didn't expect to see you here, Lyon."

Lyon scratched the back of his head. "Well, I _was _actually looking for Juvia. Don't suppose you'd know where she is?"

He turned back to his plate. "Gone. Left a couple of hours ago on a job with Gajeel."

"Bummer," he muttered as he sat down next to his fellow Ice Mage. "Guess I'll have lunch while I'm here, at least…" He sighed. "Any idea when she'll be back?" When Gray didn't answer, Lyon glanced over at him only to find him completely zoned-out, lost in a world of his own, once again absent-mindedly moving his peas around in circles on his plate. Lyon frowned before knocking a fist into the back of the younger mage's head. _Hard._

"OW! _Teme! _What was that for?" Gray spat angrily, massaging the spot Lyon had knocked.

Lyon grinned. "Maybe you shouldn't ignore people when they're talking to you then."

Instead of a smart come-back like Lyon was expecting, Gray turned his eyes away, ducking his head slightly. "Gomen'nasai. Just had a lot on my mind lately, that's all."

Lyon's grin quickly disappeared. Gray had never been one to back down to anyone, especially him. "Like?"

Gray pressed his lips tightly together, wondering how much he could tell Lyon. With a sigh, he finally settled on "Just… stuff." He could tell Lyon wasn't happy with the answer so he was slightly surprised when the older mage didn't press for a more definite answer.

Instead, Lyon simply took a swig of the drink Mira had brought him and changed the subject. "Heard you went back to Isvan, to train."

Gray sighed inwardly. What Lyon saw as a change of subject only brought Gray's worries full-circle, back to things he couldn't really talk about after Master Makarov's warning – even though the warning hadn't strictly been for what was on his mind, he had the feeling that the master knew more than he let on about the book that started all of his troubles. Not to mention that, since all of his problems were linked back to that book, he felt the warning kind of applied to them, too. "I did," he answered cautiously. "Where did you hear that?"

"Juvia." Of course; he should have known. "I asked her what you had been up to a couple of days ago. How'd it go? Did you find Ur's books?"

Gray stiffened unperceptively. Again, how much should he tell Lyon about what happened? Nothing, he finally decided. Everything out of the ordinary that had happened would simply be left out. He shrugged. "It was fine. It certainly took some searching, but, yes, I did find them. I was honestly expecting to find more than that though; she really didn't have all that many magic books."

"Why do you think I dared to learn Iced Shell all those years ago?" Lyon chuckled. "It was the only book I could find! I knew she had other volumes, but I didn't know where she kept them."

"They were in her daughter's room," Gray replied with a shrug. "It was the last place I would've thought to look, but I suppose it does make sense since Ur was teaching her Ice Magic…"

Lyon nodded. "How far did you get in them?"

"Through the fourth. By then the techniques were getting more specific so I didn't use everything, obviously, but everything that pertained to me, I learned."

"Did you get the chance to try anything out of the fifth volume?" Lyon glanced up from his food at the suddenly silent Ice Mage sitting next to him only to find a look of utter disbelief plastered across Gray's face. "What? What did I say?"

Gray visibly swallowed. "How do you know about the fifth volume? Jii-chan told me it's an extremely rare find – one-of-a-kind," Gray hissed barely above a whisper so no one would over-hear them.

Lyon's eyes widened slightly before he gave a low whistle. "What was Ur doing with it then?"

Gray shook his head. "I don't know. I was honestly hoping that _you_ might know how she got hold of it…"

"Actually," Lyon grunted, "I do know _how_ she came across it… Doesn't explain _why she_ found it though, or why she couldn't use anything in it."

Gray's eyes grew wide. _"What?"_

* * *

_Year X774_

"How's he doing?"

Lyon glanced up from the manga he was reading as Ur returned from her 'errand'. "He was still asleep last I looked. Did you find anything?"

Ur sighed. "Poor thing." She sat down wearily in a chair by the fire. "To lose everything you have so suddenly…" Shaking her head, she sighed yet again. "And, no; I didn't find anything. After taking a closer look around, it's a miracle in itself that he was still alive; there was nothing left of anything except the rubble that used to be buildings – except for one thing. I found this not far from where we found him." Ur pulled a thick book out of the bag she had taken with her just in case she found something worth saving in the destruction. At the bottom of the spine in silver print was the numeral '5'.

Lyon put down the manga, stood, and went over to his mentor. "What's in it?"

"It's a book of Ice Magic, just like the ones I already have, but this is the fifth volume – I didn't even know such a thing existed." She paused for a moment, sliding her hand over the closed cover. "I wonder where it came from though," she quietly mused, more to herself than to Lyon. "The cover hasn't even been marred with a scratch; it couldn't possibly have been in the town when Deliora attacked." She turned her attention back to her pupil, who was still standing next to her staring at the book bound in a dark blue. Giving him a small smile, she stood back up. "If you wouldn't mind keeping an eye on him for a bit longer, Lyon, I'd like to try out a few of the techniques and spells in here. It's not every day I get to learn something new, after all."

Lyon nodded. "As long as I can watch when you get done!"

Ur nodded as she strode towards the door. After she had disappeared again, Lyon sighed and turned to the only bedroom the tiny house contained. Usually he wasn't allowed to go in there, but, Ur had said, this was a special circumstance. After all, the boy they had found had been injured and so it only made sense to allow him to sleep there until he recovered a little. As he peeked in through the narrow gap in the open door, he could just barely make out the silhouette of the dark-haired boy, sound asleep yet as he had been since shortly after they had dug him out of the rubble. He sighed again as he backed away and closed the door. They didn't even know his name yet…

He settled himself back into his chair as he picked up his discarded manga and quickly found where he had left off only moments before when Ur had returned. This was how he would pass the hours, he knew, just like he had passed the rest of the day and the day before after they had returned from the decimated town: He would sit and read the new manga Ur had managed to find in the nearest town while periodically getting up to check on the nameless boy in the next room or to find something to eat. He didn't especially mind, though; it was kind of nice to be able to relax once in a while from the normal every-day training he was used to completing. He was fully expecting to be alone in the house (except for their sleeping visitor) for a few hours or more, so he was quite surprised when he heard the door open barely over an hour later.

He was even more surprised when he looked upon his mentor.

As she plopped down into the chair by the fireplace, her head falling back, eyes closed, Lyon couldn't help but stare. "Ur-sensei?" he asked quietly. "What happened?"

Her eyes opened and she glanced at her pupil. Then, as she glanced down at herself, she chuckled lightly. "I do look quite a sight, don't I?" She shook her head. "I'm perfectly fine, Lyon; don't worry. Well, mostly fine, anyway – I'm uninjured, thank goodness."

"What happened?" he asked again, eyes still wide.

Ur gave him a thoughtful look, silent for a moment before answering. "You know, I don't really know. One minute, I'm working on a spell; the next, I'm flat on my back in the snow. The only explanation I can come up with is that the spell, itself, _rejected _me, as if it wasn't meant for me to learn. I know it doesn't make much sense, but that's the only reason I can come up with. When I was knocked down, it felt as if… _something _didn't want me to learn that magic, as if it was written for a very specific purpose – for a specific _person_ to learn, and I am not that person." She shook her head. "I don't know why, Lyon, but I'm taking that as a hint that I shouldn't mess around with those spells anymore."

* * *

"Then what?"

Lyon shrugged slightly. "You woke up about then, screaming from a nightmare, and I never saw the book again. I knew she'd kept it though; she had told me that much, at least." He turned to look at the younger mage, a quizzical look on his face. "Not really sure why it matters though. I mean, yeah, it's a rare book and all that, but…"

Gray looked down, avoiding Lyon's enquiring gaze. "I guess it just seems strange to me that she couldn't learn the magic…" Gray's mind, however, was reeling. Magic that is mentor – a mage practically considered to be one of the Saints – couldn't learn, but he was capable of? He couldn't quite process that – and it only added one more troubling thought to the plate. A lost language he could interpret… Magic that had rejected Ur but not he himself…

"So, did you try any of them?" Lyon's words forced Gray's thoughts back to the present with a start.

"Iie," he lied smoothly. "Didn't have the chance."

"Did you bring it back with you at least? I know I'd love to try out some of those spells myself…"

Gray shrugged. "Didn't think to, no. Gomen."

Lyon tilted his head in thought. "You seem awfully distracted all of a sudden…"

He sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day alone. "It's nothing; I'm just tired, that's all." As if to emphasize his point, Gray wearily rubbed a hand over his eyes. He _was _tired after all – tired of wondering what in the world was going on, tired of wondering why everything that was happening was happening to him, tired of wondering what all of this meant for him. He didn't want to think about it anymore, but, no matter what he did, those haunting words kept pushing their way into his mind. _The spell to end all spells… _Even in his dreams, he couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding that had settled in his chest; the words even appeared to him when he was asleep, though never making any more sense then than when he was wide awake.

"Maybe you should go get some sleep then." Once again, Lyon's words pulled Gray out of his musings with a start.

Slowly, Gray nodded as he stood from the barstool. "Maybe so…" Not that he thought it would really help much… After all, sleep wasn't really very restful when the same words that haunted him during his waking hours also haunted him in his sleep.

This whole mess was a puzzle to him, yet the pieces he had didn't seem to fit together in any coherent way. Why was it, he had to wonder, that the more pieces to the puzzle that he gained, the less the picture seemed to make sense? At first it had been clear: A spell written in a lost language; that picture was simple to see. Except that the first picture wasn't really the big picture at all but only a piece of it. That he could read the language and learn forms of Ice Magic no one else seemed to be able to learn only served to distort the image he could see. Not to mention that some unknown person seemed to know all about him, including where he lived, and was calling him the _'Chosen One.' _Now, he finally realized, far too many pieces were missing to be able to even guess as to what the big picture could be.

What he really needed were answers. Only one person he knew would have them, but could he ever ask? After all, even though he knew he _needed_ answers, he wasn't sure he _wanted_ them at the same time. He _needed _to know what was going on, but at the same time, he didn't _want _to know what that would mean for him.

Tiredly, he ran a hand through his dark hair as he turned away from the guild building in the direction of his apartment. As he stuffed his hands into his pants pockets, he wished not for the last time that this nightmare would end, that he would wake up to find all the confusion and unanswered questions to be a dream and not reality. Just like in the nightmares he'd had as a child, he wanted to wake up because he knew it would all be over then; he could wake up and go back to reality without having to face the terrifying demons of his dreams. Except he knew that this time, that wouldn't be happening. Before this was all over, some part of his brain reasoned, he would have to face demons unlike any found in childish nightmares. He would have to face them because they would be real this time, and he would not be allowed to escape by simply 'waking up.'

He didn't know what the future held for him, however near or far away the pieces would finally come together, but he did know, as he chest tightened further with anxiety, that he wanted no part of it. He only wanted to wake up from the nightmare that he felt was quickly closing in on him.

But what was worse than the prospect of a real, living nightmare were the words his mind quietly whispered to him as he trudged along the silent, empty streets of Magnolia. _In your nightmares, you are always alone – oh, so alone!_

_And there is no one there to save you but yourself._


	6. Chapter 5 Depth of Fear

**A/N: **Oh, so much debating in this chapter! It was already my normal length for a chapter before I got in everything I wanted. In the end, everything that was originally supposed to be in this chapter still isn't, but I know how it's going to fit into next chapter so it's okay. (: But, yeah... That's why it's a later than normal. (But also a little longer than normal!)

_Chapter Notes: _The two flashbacks take place not long after Gray caught Erza crying on the riverbank and on their trip home from Galuna Island, respectively. Yes, I am aware that Makarov kinda contradicts himself - that's why Gray calls him out on it. Just keep reading the story. Yes, this chapter takes place the same day as the previous one.

_Language Notes: _'Nakama' again, which is 'friends/commrades/allies' depending on whom you ask, 'jii-chan' again - 'gramps/old man', 'hai' - 'yes/yeah', 'iie' - 'no/nope', and '-sama' - the equivalent of 'Mr.'.

_Mood Music: _Well, kind of, anyway. Listening to it made me want to post this, anyway: Zach Hemsey's Waiting Between Worlds (Instrumental Version). Though I didn't know it then, Zach Hemsey also composed the song I mentioned last chapter. (He is just that awesome... 8D)

_Special Thanks: _For Reviewing: ElodieKumari94, sereneskydragonslayer, and Rewinsan. For adding to faves/alerts: MangaFanReader, wildanimelover, LaMindy, Kenyoru-chan, and dreamscometru410. Also to Miroh - I friggin love you! - for your input on this chapter! :D

_Disclaimer: _Too tired to think of anything witty. I don't own anything but the plot and the occasional OC, of which there is one unnamed in this chapter.

_DID YOU KNOW? '_Neve' is Italian for 'snow', much like many of the places in the Fairy Tail universe.

* * *

_Chapter Five – Depth of Fear  
__January 31__st__, X785_

_Gray could only stare on in raw horror at the destruction that surrounded him. Though he was certain he was still in Magnolia, there wasn't a building left standing in the town he had once called his home. Lying scattered in the debris were his precious nakama – his _family. _If they were dead or alive, he couldn't be certain, though something told him he didn't want to know. However, there was one mage who stood when all the others had fallen: A mage clad in black with hair to match. Though he had no certain name for this mage in front of him, somewhere in his mind a voice whispered the name Zeref. As the mage turned to face him, Gray could see red eyes looming from under the raven locks that shrouded them – red eyes that sent shivers down his spine._

"_What will you do now, Gray?" the black mage asked him. "You are alone now; there is no one left to save you. So what will you do, Gray Fullbuster, now that your back is up against the wall?"_

_Gray stood frozen, hardly daring to breathe. He knew there was _something _he was supposed to do now, but for some reason, he couldn't. He stood, frozen to the spot, as the other mage chuckled darkly._

"_And you call yourself one of the fearless Fairy Tail mages!" Zeref grinned a crooked smile. "You are nothing but a spineless coward!"_

Gray jolted out of his slumber, all but falling off his bed where he had crashed as soon as he had entered his apartment barely over an hour before. He sat up slowly, resting his head in his hands, elbows on his knees, breathing slowly and deeply in attempt to try to calm his thundering heart. He hadn't experienced such a vivid nightmare in years, and, in all honesty, what he had seen was making him feel slightly nauseous. "It was just a dream," he whispered to himself. "Just a horrible dream. It's not real. Just forget about it."

He slowly stood up and made his way out of his bedroom and into the kitchenette of his apartment. As he moved about, making himself a cup of tea, he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, leaning heavily against the counter as he finally fully realized the implications of his dream. As much as he wanted to shake it off, the dream he'd just had fit perfectly with the fragments that had disturbed his sleep for the previous two nights. Everyone fighting some unseen enemy, Jii-chan telling him to stay in the guild for his own safety, _a stranger telling him that he was Fiore's only hope. _Throw in the fact that he could read a dead language, the story Jii-chan had told him shortly after his return from Isvan, what Lyon had said about Ur and book, and the note on his door just that morning… If that dream and those fragments were to be believed then, he concluded, he was in a world of trouble…

He swallowed harshly against the lump rising in his throat, trying desperately to organize his thoughts. _Just what in the world was going on?!_ Through the haze of thoughts clouding his mind, one made itself clear through the storm: Everyone in Fairy Tail was going to die.

And it would be his fault because he was too afraid to do what obviously needed to be done.

He took a deep, shaking breath as he came to the realization that, whether he wanted to be a part of whatever this was or not, he was in the very center of it all. It didn't matter how much he tried to shove it away and forget about it, he wouldn't be allowed to do so because everything that he had seen in his dreams would come to pass and it would only happen because of him. There was nothing he could possibly do to stop what was coming…

Unless…

Unless, he left – ran away and hid somewhere no one would ever find him… If he wasn't here, no one would have to suffer, right? If he had been the only member of Fairy Tail left standing – and Jii-chan had told him to stay in the guild in order to _protect him_ – then that meant Zeref was after him specifically, didn't it? So if he wasn't there – if he simply went missing – then Zeref would have no cause to attack his nakama. Right?

He would gladly leave Fairy Tail if it meant keeping those he cared about safe from harm. He would draw Zeref away from them, meet his fate alone – just like in every nightmare he'd ever had because this was a nightmare, too. And, in the end, he would be alone if he didn't leave, so what difference did it really make? At least if he left he could protect them, make it so that only he would have to suffer.

His hands unconsciously clenched into fists where they rested on the countertop. He would be alone again, but they would be safe at least. And no one would ever have to know – he wouldn't have to bother them with any of this. He didn't know why this was happening to him, but he certainly didn't need to drag everyone down with him by staying in Magnolia…

"_What are you doing out here, Gray?"_

_The young mage turned in surprise to see Fairy Tail's guild master following him through the forest just outside of Magnolia. He turned away again before muttering gruffly, "What does it _look like _I'm doing?"_

_Master Makarov frowned at the mage who didn't yet stand much taller than he, himself, did. "Running away from whatever is bothering you isn't going to solve the problem, you know."_

_Gray clenched his hands into fists at his sides. "Like anyone here cares about what I'm going through, anyway!"_

"_You might be surprised. Cana hasn't stopped asking me all week if I know what's bothering you. And Erza may not outwardly show she cares, but I could tell she was listening every time Cana asked what was going on with you. But if you honestly don't want to believe that, then just know this: I will _always _care about what you're going through, Gray. It's both my job as the master of the guild as well as that of being a _father._ I may not be your real father, Gray, but I am a _father, _none-the-less. If you ever have a problem, or if you're just going through a rough spot, I will do everything in my power to help you through it. _Because we are a family. _On the honor of my guild, that is a promise I will _never _break."_

Gray blinked at the sudden memory, feeling slightly unnerved now as he thought about what had happened before and after that. He had hidden away what he was feeling, but even though he hadn't wanted to talk about it, as soon as he had returned to the guild that day, he realized just how much everyone cared even though most of the members hardly knew him. He had been met with relieved looks from the members in the hall, and Macao had even come up to him and said, "Where ya been, kid? You had us all worried, there…"

And that hadn't been the only time something like that had happened. More recently…

"_Gray," Erza spoke quietly so as not to wake Lucy and Natsu who were both out cold on the seat opposite them. "About what happened back there…"_

"_I don't want to talk about it…"_

"_And that is always what gets you into trouble," Erza stated crossly. "_Not talking _is not a good thing, Gray. We _need _to talk about this. You were ready to off yourself back on the island – twice! I cannot in good conscious let that go!"_

_Gray crossed his arms over his chest and stared moodily out the train window. "It was the only thing I _could _do…"_

"_Really?" The hard edge on the female's voice suddenly disappeared. "What is so hard about relying on your nakama to help you, Gray? That's what a team is for… That is what a _family _is for. And you never seem to be able to get that through your thick skull. If you think it makes you look weak, Gray, I'll tell you right now that it doesn't. After all, it takes more courage to admit that you just _might _be afraid than to try to go at something alone when it's obvious you can't succeed on your own. It's okay to ask for help. You don't need to go through _anything _alone."_

_Silence. Then: "I know…"_

_Erza gave him a slight smile. "Then why don't you?"_

Gray bit his lip. Why didn't he now? He had to wonder. He had never been so afraid of something that seemed so irrational. He could at least seek reassurance, couldn't he? Reassurance that, no matter what happened, whether his dream ended up a reality or not, that he wasn't alone in what was to come. Dear Mavis, did he feel so alone!

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he pushed himself away from the counter and quickly returned to his bedroom. Out of a secret compartment in the bottom drawer of his desk, he removed a slim, metal box, and, from the box, a stack of pages with ragged edges. Throwing on the white jacket that had been hap-hazardly strew over the back of his desk chair, he folded the pages and tucked them into an inside pocket.

It was now or never…

* * *

"These pages contain the spell to end all spells," Gray spoke quietly, wearily, as he set the pages on the master's desk before sitting down on one of the chairs in front of it. "That's what the first line reads." He didn't dare meet the master's gaze, instead staring down at where his hands where now clasped tightly together in front of him. Although he could feel the old man's penetrating gaze on him, he couldn't find it in him to look up.

Master Makarov cleared his throat before speaking in an equally quiet tone, no emotion what-so-ever present in his voice. "You've known for a while you could read this, haven't you?"

Gray swallowed harshly. "Hai."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I was…" He swallowed harshly again. "Afraid… I just… wanted to forget about it. I hoped it would just… I don't know… Go away…" He ended in a whisper, his voice shaking.

The silence weighed heavily for a moment before Makarov spoke again. "Why come to me now?"

"I didn't know what else to do… Everything that's happened since I came back from Isvan…" He shook his head, eyes closing for a moment. "Please tell me I'm crazy or this is all just a dream…"

"I honestly wish I could, Gray, but I can't. I'm afraid this is all real, and it's not going to go away." Gray's head jerked up, finally meeting the master's gaze only to find a look of understanding. "I think you've probably figured out by now that I didn't tell you everything when you showed me that book. I didn't want to trouble you; after all, there was a chance that it had nothing to do with you. But now I can see that it has _everything _to do with you." He sat down in the chair next to the one Gray occupied.

"I first heard of this legend a number of years ago while out on a job – long before I became master of this guild. In a town up north, I was in a shop when I overheard the shop keeper discussing some recent events with a customer he obviously knew very well…

* * *

_Approx. Year X720_

"Have ya heard about the killings in Neve?"

Makarov's ears perked at the simple question from the shop keeper to the customer he was assisting at the counter.

"In Neve?" the woman returned. "This is the first I have heard. Tch. Doesn't surprise me much, though. Families are always feuding up around there."

"Iie, it wasn't a feudal killing; it was _them._"

As the woman gasped, Makarov couldn't help but give in to his curiosity. "Excuse me," he politely interrupted as he approached. "I couldn't help but over-hear your conversation. I'm a stranger to these parts, and, well, I don't know who 'them' is? I'm afraid my curiosity has gotten the better of me," he spoke sheepishly. "And I must apologize…"

The shop keeper waved it away. "If it was something I didn't want people to over-hear, I wouldn't speak of it while my shop is open." He bid the woman a farewell as she turned to leave before turning back to his explanation. "For hundreds of years mages clad entirely in black, with not even their faces showing, have periodically attacked and killed seemingly random citizens the world over. I'm honestly surprised you've never heard about it, but, I suppose, most people just want to ignore them as much as possible; as long as it doesn't affect them, why should they care? Anyway, they dress in all black except for the silver symbol found on the left shoulder of their garments – a symbol that has long since been associated with the great mage, Zeref. Those who know of these mages believe them to be his minions, carrying out his dirty work so he, himself, can remain hidden."

"But what's the point in killing random people? I know Zeref is considered to be evil, but I don't believe he would act without cause, none-the-less…"

The shop keeper smirked. "That's just it: The killings aren't as random as most would believe. I'm a bit of a sucker for this sort of thing, you see, and I've done my homework. All of the people who are killed by these mysterious mages are related, in some way, by blood or marriage."

Makarov was starting to lose interest. "So they're all related… What's so fascinating about that?"

"Well, you see, there's this legend."

All of his interest had suddenly been restored. "Go on…"

"It's a story that my mother and grandmother and her grandmother have passed on for generations – one that has always intrigued me, especially since I've seen those masked killers with my own eyes. It is said that four hundred years ago, Zeref's own sister, Loriel, cursed him before he killed her. She swore to him that one of his own descendants would be the end of him – and illegitimate child as he had never married. That's why he is still killing people today: He is still trying to find the one who will end him by tracing the generations back to the women he once seduced. He has yet to succeed because he didn't believe her, you see; he waited too long. I have confidence that, one day, because of his mistake, that descendant will appear."

"What then?"

"Well, the descendant will defeat Zeref, of course! It is said that Loriel created the ultimate spell before her death, writing it in the back of a volume of Ice Creation Magic – a spell that only an Ice Mage can perform." He frowned. "I do have to wonder though… It was written in Gujarati…"

Makarov scoffed lightly. "A lost language?" He turned away. "Sounds like it won't matter if he shows up then or not."

"Except that he'll be able to read it, still."

Makarov turned back. "How's that?"

The shop keeper shrugged. "It's just part of the legend. I don't know if it's really possible or not, but the legend says that right as she died, Loriel sealed her magic in time, meaning that she already knew when she died who would be capable of defeating her brother. She sealed her power in a person who hadn't even been thought of yet. When the time is right, that power will awaken and when it is combined with the magic power the person is already capable of, it will be enough to defeat Zeref. And, since that power once belonged to a mage who _could _understand Gujarati, it is said that the descendant will be able to understand it because of that."

Makarov raised an eyebrow. "And no one has bothered to try to learn this spell before?"

"That would be impossible. The fifth volume of Ice Magic disappeared without a trace; no one has ever seen it. Though I doubt anyone else would be able to learn the spell even if the language was decipherable. Loriel wrote it for one person alone – the descendant of the legend. One person – and one person only – will be allowed to wield the power of The Spell to End All Spells…"

* * *

"That was what originally tipped me off, to be honest," Master Makarov concluded. "During your battle with Natsu at the end of the S-Class Exam, I could sense an untapped potential: All of that extra power in you was already starting to awaken. I wondered what would happen if you started to utilize it, and, well, now we know. That spell answered to you, Gray; it was meant for you and you alone."

"Then that's it," Gray whispered shakily, looking away as the pieces suddenly jammed together in his mind. "I'm… the descendant of… Zeref?"

"It would appear to be so."

"And that dream I had… He killed everyone… That will be all because he was after me?"

"Only if you let it happen, Gray. The future is never set in stone."

The ice mage stood, shoulders slumping, hands clenching into fists at his sides, eyes shadowed by his bangs. He should have just left in the first place; he refused to drag everyone into this – especially since he had confirmation, now, that it would be his fault… "I'll just go then," he whispered. "I won't trouble you all with this… Please tell everyone goodbye for me…"

"You can't tell me you're running away again, are you, Gray?"

"But… If I stay… I'm the descendant of Zeref…"

"And I'm the son of a fish monger! What is your point, Gray?"

"I can't stay. If I do, everyone here will pay the price! I've lost enough people in my life, Jii-chan; I can't bear the thought of losing anyone else!"

"And you think we'll all be safe from Zeref if you leave? He is a tyrant, Gray. He will continue to kill for the sole reason that he _can_. The only thing that you leaving will do is delay the inevitable. You cannot run from a destiny that has been written in time."

"I never asked for this…"

"I can hardly think of anyone who only gets what they ask for. No, rather it is what they do with what comes their way that makes them who they are. We are your family, Gray. We won't hand ourselves – or _you _– over to Zeref so easily."

Gray finally sat back down in the chair with a weary sigh, massaging his temples in attempt to ward off the headache he could feel starting to creep in. "Why not Natsu? He's the Dragon Slayer…"

Makarov let out a small chuckle. "As much as it seems otherwise sometimes, Dragon Slaying Magic isn't the answer to every magical problem in the world."

Gray sighed again, his hand dropping limply back down to his lap. "So what do we do now?"

"Now that is the question of the day. I honestly don't know what to do at this point. Zeref may or may not be on the move again; I have no knowledge of when – or even _if_, truly – you will need that spell. That is the thing about legends, Gray; with enough time, even they get bent out of their original shape. There is no telling if you will need that spell, or if you can simply read the language because of magic passed down through the generations – I have heard of things like this before, you know; it is not as uncommon as one might think." Makarov paused in thought as he picked up the pages from his desk. "For the time being, however, I think the safest place for these would be here, with the book they were torn out of. As for you, I think it would be wise to stay around the guild for a while. I'm not banning your from taking jobs, of course, but I do feel it would be unwise until we can figure out just what is going on." He turned his gaze back to the silent Ice Mage. "I will call on an old and wise friend of mine; perhaps he will be able to provide some useful knowledge on the matter."

Gray silently nodded, mulling over everything in his mind. He wanted to believe that it all really was just some fluke; after all, that would explain why nothing seemed to add up. Yet, with the rest of the legend now on his mind, he doubted very much that what he had seen in his dreams wouldn't come to pass… His frown deepened as a thought occurred to him. "Jii-chan… You said I couldn't outrun a destiny written into time, yet here you are doubting it?"

Makarov smiled slightly. "In all honesty, Gray, I don't even know what to think anymore. All I can tell you is that, if this all really is going to come to pass, you will not be able to outrun it – you will be stuck in the very heart of the matter." He laid a hand on the younger mage's shoulder, rewarding him with Gray finally meeting his gaze again. "Take heart, Gray. No matter what happens, we will be behind you all the way. _You will not be alone!"_

* * *

Gray lie awake, staring at his ceiling for what seemed like forever before daring to sneak a glance at the clock. He groaned at the time. The clock proudly pronounced 4:51 AM in glowing red letters – far too early to get up, yet Gray didn't really feeling like lying there any longer when he knew full-well that he wouldn't fall sleep, considering that was what he had been unsuccessfully trying to do for the past eight hours… He glanced at the clock again: 4:53 now – still too early to get up, he realized with yet another groan. He slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, swinging his legs over the side until his feet hit the cold floor. His elbows resting on his knees, his head resting in his hands, he rubbed wearily at his eyes with the heels of his hands. He was so tired of not sleeping well; vaguely he wondered if Wendy had a spell to induce dreamless sleep before remembering that the younger mage had been out on a job with one of the teams for a week already and no one had any idea when they would return. Quickly dismissing the idea, he stood up and hunted down a pair of athletic shorts and a t-shirt. Maybe a nice, long run would help clear his mind…

Somewhere in his head a voice whispered that going out alone in the early morning hours was a bad idea, but he promptly ignored it as he stepped out into the brisk morning air and took off at a light jog down the silent street. He quickly came to the city limits and turned to run the distance around the outskirts of Magnolia. Yes, it was going to be a nice, _long _run at that! And that was the way he liked it.

He hadn't been running long when he met with the forest on the east side of the town. As he continued to run between it and the outmost buildings of the city, an idea whispered inside his head until he finally slowed his pace until he stopped, simply staring out into the dark trees. He chewed the inside of his lip as he pondered whether it would be wise to disappear into the trees, especially since no one knew where he was at the moment. But, in the end, the pros of working off the stress that clouded his mind won out, and he jogged into the trees. He didn't stop until he reached a small clearing. _Perfect. _

Gray strode to the center of the clearing and, standing with his feet shoulder width apart, he allowed his head to fall forward slightly, eyes closing. He took a deep breath in through his nose and let it out through his mouth, allowing his tense muscles to relax. As he did so, a dark blue magic circle appeared under his feet. Another deep breath and he allowed his magic to release slightly, billowing around him, creating a gentle wind.

Then, without warning or hesitation, his eyes snapping open, he moved.

* * *

High above in the trees, a single man dressed in dark clothing watched the ice mage cast, his eyes shining with a dark curiosity. "What have we here?" he muttered to himself. "Never have I laid sight on magic such as this – not for four hundred years least ways. No, the only person I've ever know with magic such as this was Loriel herself." He grinned wickedly at the thought. "So you survived Deliora's attack after all, did you? Master Zeref must be informed of this at once!" Even as he spoke, however, the man continued to stare down at the young mage below him. "Tch. Such talent. Wasted. Too bad there is no way we could win him over." He shrugged. "Too bad indeed…"

For some time, he continued to watch and, before he realized how much time had passed, the sun had risen, beginning to penetrate the darkness of the forest. The young mage below him must have noticed as well, for he turned to pick up his shirt (when he had discarded it, the man hadn't noticed) and started back the way he had come. His eyebrow rose. "So you are from Magnolia – I should have noticed sooner, I suppose, with that Fairy Tail mark of yours. That is valuable information. Now if only I had a name…Hm." Without another thought, he jumped down from his perch and followed behind the ice mage, carefully concealed with his magic.

'Just who are you, boy?' the man – a dark mage – thought. 'Zeref-sama will probably not care much, but I, personally, would like to know the name of the mage whose life has been forfeit since before his birth. It would be nice to know before you die…'


	7. Chapter 6 Twenty-Four Hours

**A/N: **Took a little longer to get this one up, I know, but it didn't help that I'm still battling this awful cold... BUT because you guys are awesome (and because I made you wait) this is a little longer than normal, once again (that was actually an accident but...)! Not much action this chapter, but I hope you enjoy it none-the-less! (:

_Ch. Notes: _I actually don't think I have anything that needs commented on this time...

_Language Notes: _The only new word is 'mina' which roughly translates to 'everyone' as in addressing everyone present.

_Mood Music: _Anything dramatic! Haha. Like Gothic Storm's Lost Horizon or Two Steps From Hell's Heart of Courage. After you read, on the other hand, Jem's 24 was the inspiration for part of this chapter. DO NOT listen to it until AFTER though or it might ruin the chapter for you...

_Special Thanks: _For Reviewing: leoslady4ever, Miroh, sereneskydragonslayer, Rewinsan, and ElodieKumari94. For adding to faves/alerts: tristanw808 and Leia-Kuroia. I friggin' love you guys! Arigato mina! :D

_Disclaimer: _You have a serious problem if you think I own Fairy Tail. I own two OC's in this chapter, but other than that, nil.

DID YOU KNOW? Cana Alborona's name is actually supposed to be spelled with a 'K' but in the character drop-down here on ffnet (and in most other places, including the wikia) it is spelled with a 'C'.

* * *

_Chapter Six – Twenty-Four Hours  
__February 2__nd__, X785_

"How did you manage to even find him?"

"Instinct – and a little luck! I happened to see him out running in the early morning hours and followed him, thinking it was rather strange to see anyone out at such a time."

"_You _were out…"

The man chuckled. "Yes, I suppose I was. He is a Fairy Tail mage, Zeref-sama – an Ice Mage by the name of Gray Fullbuster. He is the one who should have died some years ago, ne?"

Zeref nodded once. "I'm impressed, General Tearm. But how did you know it was he?"

Hisao Tearm chuckled again. "You _are_ speaking to the man who used to serve your sister. She trusted me, showed me her work. The only person I have ever seen use the techniques that he was using was her." He paused before adding, "And she told me her little secret: How she was creating one spell that revolved around those techniques – how only one person someday would be able to learn them. She knew as she wrote them that this day would come; his showing off his one-of-a-kind techniques has only served to bring it faster. I guess it's a good thing he probably hasn't learned the spell yet."

Zeref raised an eyebrow. "And you know this… how?"

Hisao shrugged. "Just a feeling I got while watching him. I'm not sure he knows exactly what he is – after all, if he did, you would think he'd be smart enough not to wander off on his own…"

"Good," Zeref declared smugly. "All the better for us. Is everything in order, General?"

"Aye, sir. Whenever you command."

"I have waited for over four hundred years for this," Zeref proclaimed, an almost dreamy light shining in his eyes. "And now this era of peace is about to come to an end. The era of the Black Mage is about to begin!"

* * *

_February 3__rd__, X785 – 7:53 AM_

Gray was sitting in the guild hall, staring listlessly at his plate of half-eaten food, silently enduring concerned stares from both Mirajane and Erza, when it happened.

Jet burst through the guild doors at full speed, only screeching to a stop barely before he hit the far wall. "Where's Master Makarov?" he cried out urgently.

Mira was the first to find her voice in the suddenly silent guild hall. "He's up in his office, I think," she answered. "What happened?"

"Team Shadow Gear – we were on our way back from a job," he stuttered. "When, out of nowhere, these demons just appeared and started wreaking havoc in Hargeon! Levy and Jet and Wendy are still down there, trying to stop them, but we all agreed that someone should come back and warn everyone because Hargeon isn't the only place being attacked!"

Gray was all ears by this point. Approaching Jet, he asked, "What do you mean 'Hargeon isn't the place'?"

"Well, we were headed back, but as soon as we heard that demons are attacking towns that hold guilds all over Fiore, we were going to head up to Farsi to help out since their guild is small. Obviously, we didn't make it that far… I honestly wasn't sure I would make it in time to warn you all!"

Gray took half a step back, breathing suddenly becoming a very difficult task. _Deliora. His home town. Ur. And now it was about to happen here! _Everything from that time suddenly came crashing down on him once again, with one piece that suddenly fit everything together. _Zeref. This was happening because of Zeref – no, because of him!_ It was the only logical answer his mind could form. He looked up at the sudden pressure on his shoulder to find the source only to be met with concerned brown eyes.

"Gray? Are you alright?"

Gray swallowed visibly. He couldn't lie to Erza – she'd see right through it in an instant – but that didn't mean he had to tell _whole _truth, right? "Deliora," he whispered, "was a demon created by Zeref. You don't suppose…?"

Her frown deepened. "I don't know. Surely, this isn't just random, though; someone has to be orchestrating it. Otherwise, I don't understand how every other guild around us has been attacked while we remain unscathed…"

Gray broke eye contact as he turned to sit in the nearest seat, rubbing his temples wearily. It all fit… but it was moving far too fast! This wasn't supposed to happen yet – he was supposed to have everything figured out before anything happened! As he buried his head in his hands, he could feel himself starting to panic. He could remember all too well the pain that came with finding out his parents had been killed, and now he would soon lose his Fairy Tail family as well. Zeref obviously knew where he was – was taunting him with the fact by not terrorizing his home town yet; it would be only a matter of time before he came himself to do away with Magnolia… And the deaths here would only be added to the ones already on his hands, he realized, as it hit him the reason Deliora had attacked his home all those years before. Everyone who had perished that day – it was all because of him. Zeref was trying to remove him and, as such, removed an entire town instead. Jii-chan had been right once again; Zeref would keep killing because he could – he didn't care who died as long as one of those deaths was that of his own descendant.

Gray was pulled from his melancholy thoughts when he felt firm hands grip his wrists, gently pulling them away from his face. Taking a shaking breath, he glanced up to find the owner of the hands.

"There's something more bothering you, Gray. You know something, don't you? Talk. _Now."_ The re-quip mage's voice held no room for debate. But, despite how much he wanted to tell her, he knew he couldn't.

"It's nothing," he spoke barely above a whisper.

Erza's frown deepened. "You know I don't believe you, right?"

He sighed, looking back down to where her hands were still firmly gripping his wrists. "I… I can't tell you…"

"Why not?"

He swallowed harshly. How was he supposed to answer that? The only way he could tell her why he couldn't tell her was to tell her everything. "I… just… can't…"

Erza sighed, obviously more than just a little put off by her friend's secrecy. "You've been talking to Master a lot lately," she stated as she finally released his wrists. "Just tell me if it has anything to do with that." At his nod, she smiled slightly. "Fine. I'll just ask him, then."

Gray looked up, horror showing through on his face for a moment before disappearing to calm. "He won't tell you either. He was the one who told me not to say anything." When she gave him 'the look' he instantly wished he hadn't told her that last piece of information. He should have just let her ask and made Jii-chan deal with it…

But before she could say anything on the matter, Master Makarov beat her to it. "Have patience, Erza. Before all of this is over, all of Fiore may well know what Gray and I already know."

"Can't you just tell us all now, then?" Gajeel spoke up.

Gray honestly hadn't realized that everyone in the guild hall was still intently listening to what they were saying. Silently, he pleaded with Master Makarov.

"That would be pointless, as I would have to explain more than once, more than likely. When the others gather here, then I will explain."

"The others?" Mira asked.

Makarov nodded once. "Even before Jet came rushing into my office, I was already aware of the attacks that had begun. I'm sure this will be the only time in history it will ever be said, so listen closely: I knew thanks to the Magic Council – for once they have supplied useful information. As such, I have sent word to the other guilds in Fiore requesting a meeting here in Magnolia since we are the only unaffected town as of yet. I told them that I suspect Zeref is behind all of this, and, if we band together, we might yet have a chance to stop this chaos. Many of the smaller guilds will not be here, as their resources are being exhausted trying to protect their own towns. However, we will soon have mages joining us from Blue Pegasus, Mermaid Heel, Lamia Scale, and Saber Tooth. If other guilds are sending members, I have not heard yet. But those four have managed to fend off their demons with some to spare. If I must, I will explain then. As of this moment, however, that is not our main priority. Our main priority is to band together to defeat Zeref!"

The guild cheered at the end of his speech, a chorus of 'Aye, sir's' echoing through the hall. Everything fell deadly silent in the next instant, however, when an amused chuckled emanated from near the door. Everyone turned in surprise to find the projection of a mage clad in black, clapping sarcastically, as he slowly made his way forward.

"Do you honestly think that you – a guild of weak mages – can defeat _me,_ the strongest mage in history?" the man smirked, his greedy red eyes locking gazes with Gray's azure orbs. "It doesn't matter what any of you can do – how powerful any of you might be – none of your powers can possibly rival my own. That is a fact you would do well to remember."

"Zeref," Master Makarov spat.

"In the flesh – well, not really, as that would be quite stupid on my part," he turned his head slightly to meet the gaze of the guild master. "I have one simple request of this guild, then I shall be on my way. You see, you have something – or, rather some_one _– of great interest to me."

"Don't even bother, Zeref," Makarov countered. "These brats are mine; I won't simply give any of them up to the likes of you!"

The projected image raised an eyebrow. "Really? What if I told you a lot of innocent people will have to die unless you do? People have already died because of him; how many more until you break? If you hand him over to me now, all of this can end."

"Read my lips: Not. Happening!"

Zeref frowned. "As you wish. But just know this: I will have my way one way or another." His gaze returned to Gray. "You have twenty-four hours to hand over the Ice Mage before I _purposely _begin to take the lives of the civilians of Fiore – starting with those here in Magnolia. And I will not stop until I have what I want. Twenty-four hours. I am sure that will be enough time to persuade you; after all, I don't perceive you to be an unreasonable fellow. Twenty-four hours and, one way or another, the Ice Mage will be mine. Farewell, Fairy Tail!" The image vanished.

Gray felt his knees grow weak as his vision swam and the floor rushed up to meet him. He was stopped short of the floor, however, when strong arms encircled his waist and chest, slowly lowering him into a seated position on the floor. To his left he could hear Elfman growl, "Cowardice is not manly, that coward!" as the rest of the guild lapsed into tense whispers.

"He wants an ice mage?"

"Gray is the only Ice Mage in Fairy Tail…"

"Why in the world does he want Gray?"

Everyone's attention slowly came back to the guild master. When the hall had gone silent once again, he spoke. "We can defeat Zeref, of that I am confident." He paused, glancing around at the assembled mages. "One way or another, we will overcome – with or without Gray's abilities. Again I will say, I will explain if the need arises. Just know this: We will not be turning him over to Zeref – not now, not twenty-four hours from now. We will stand and fight, just like this guild always has, just like guilds all over Fiore have for hundreds of years. If it is a war Zeref wants, it is a war he will get!"

* * *

_12:39 PM_

A tense silence hung over the Fairy Tail guild hall. There were currently more mages assembled in the building than ever before, yet the hall was quieter than anyone had ever seen it. Mages had been trickling in from other guilds over the hours that followed Zeref's appearance, and, though none really knew what had happened, they all seemed to sense that something was drastically wrong – something that went beyond the sudden rampage of demons across Fiore. And so they sat in relative silence, sipping the drinks Mira brought them, waiting for some kind of explanation about the matter.

Gray didn't bother to look up from his glass when the door opened again, knowing it was just another guild arriving. Across the table, Erza was _still _giving him worried glances. After he had almost collapsed like that, though, he supposed she had a good reason. Regardless, it was starting to annoy him. "Would you stop that?"

The red-head gave him a puzzled look. "Stop what?"

"Giving me that look!"

"What look?"

The Ice Mage felt like banging his head into the tabletop. "The look you keep giving me!"

Erza huffed. "I can't help it."

"Well, stop anyway. It's not making me feel any better about all of this…"

"Well, maybe if I knew what 'this' is then I wouldn't have to worry so much."

"Iie. It would just make you worry more," he grumbled barely audibly. "I don't need to drag anyone else into this…"

"I don't really think that's your choice. Regardless of what we know – or rather _don't know _– doesn't change the fact that we're all in this together."

Gray put his head down on the table, resting his cheek on his arm, sighing. "Don't remind me…"

Erza's frown deepened. "Why do you always insist on doing everything on your own – of fighting every battle alone?"

"Because this time, I really am the only one who can defeat the demons…"

"Gray," Erza started to reprimand.

"He is correct," the deep voice of a man interrupted. "He is the only one who has ever lived or who will ever live who is capable of defeating Zeref. If he fails, the whole of Earthland will fall."

Gray's head jerked up from where it rested on his forearm to stare, wide-eyed, at the man standing in front of him. Who was this person who already seemed to know everything?

Erza and Natsu were both standing now, a look of mistrust evident in their stances. "Who are you?" Erza demanded. "To which guild do you belong?"

"My name is Yukio," the man responded, not at all put off by their reactions. "And I belong to no guild. I simply came to fulfill my duty to Master Fullbuster." He bowed low causing everyone in the guild to dissolve into tense whispers of who this stranger was and what he meant with his words. "I made a vow four-hundred years ago to protect you; I think my grandmother would roll over in her grave if ever she found out I had abandoned my life's mission just before the end."

"Four-hundred years ago?" Lucy whispered. "You're an immortal mage?"

Yukio straightened up. "Hai. My immortality was granted to me by Zeref himself – long before he knew my mission contradicted his own."

"Then you mean to tell me you worked under _Zeref?" _Erza spat, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

He sighed. "I will not deny it."

Erza instantly requiped two swords, one for each hand. "Then how do we know we can even trust you?"

His steely green eyes met her brown ones. "You don't. Except that I give you my word, as a fellow weapons mage and the former commander of the Black Mage's armed forces. Myself and a dear friend – God rest him – have been working under Zeref's nose ever since we learned of his despicable deeds. Had I known then, I never would have joined with him in the first place. That being said, I do not regret joining with him, either. Had I not, Master Fullbuster's ancestors would have been wiped from the face of the earth centuries ago."

"And what if I say I still don't trust you?"

"Regardless of whether or not you chose to, I will remain here." His gaze shifted to the still-stunned Ice Mage. "I will protect you no matter what comes." He bowed again. He turned back to Erza. "It will make it simpler to protect him, won't it, if we can all trust each other?"

Erza gripped her swords tighter as Natsu's fist burst into flame. "Maybe so," Natsu stated in a dangerously low voice, "but we still don't have a reason to trust you. How do we know you won't turn Gray over to Zeref the instant our backs are turned?"

"Let me ask you this," a new voice joined the conversation. "Do you all trust me?"

"Loke!" Lucy exclaimed as her Celestial Spirit appeared of his own accord next to Yukio. "Of course we trust you, but I'm not sure what that has to do with this…"

"What if I told you that I trust him? As a former holder of my key?"

Lucy's eyes grew wide. "What?!"

"If you will not listen to Yukio, then listen to me," Loke continued. "I trust him."

Yukio smiled slightly. "Arigato, Leo."

While she held on to them still, Erza lowered her swords to her side. "_Explain."_

Yukio nodded. "Gladly. My grandmother was a very devote follower of Loriel – the younger sister of Zeref. Before Loriel's final confrontation with her brother, she entrusted everything of her magic to my grandmother, including the prophecy of the Coming One and every Celestial Spirit Key that existed at that time, including the twelve Zodiacs. I did not know any of this however, until after I had enlisted in Zeref's army. I wanted to learn powerful magic, and he was the only one who could teach it to me. When I told my grandmother, she was very distraught – so distraught that she dared to tell me the Prophecy of the Coming One despite that I would be working for the enemy. As soon as I knew, I vowed I would do everything in my power to protect him or her. It was then that she entrusted me with Leo's key, saying that he is the head of the Zodiac would serve me well in my efforts.

"I never forgot that vow. It was the very reason I worked hard and showed leadership while still in training, hoping it would pay off in the end. It did. When Zeref assigned ranks, he awarded me the highest of General. I was in the perfect position to be able to protect the people I needed to protect – and I would always know whom I needed to protect because of my dear friend – God rest him – Dragan Clive. He was Zeref's personal fortuneteller. We had known each other before we joined with Zeref, so after he had informed Zeref of his demise, he told me of it before I met with Zeref that day. I shared with him the same prophecy I had been told, and he instantly joined my mission. With his skills, we were always able to spirit away the one person of Zeref's line who need to be protected.

"However, ten years ago, I had thought that mission lost. Zeref had discovered our treachery somehow and had proceeded to attack the town where the final descendant lived, sending in his beloved demon, Deliora, to do his dirty work. As Zeref was revealing to us that he knew, Dragan gave him the last fortune he would ever give: The Coming One was here! Zeref's attack had been in vain, for somehow the child had lived!" Yukio glanced pointedly at Gray before continuing. "Dragan took the hit from Zeref's Death Magic at the last moment, creating enough of a distraction for me to escape. I realized not long after that my life was very important to the Chosen One learning what he needed to learn in order to defeat Zeref. I knew the prophecy that was no more than a legend anymore; I was confident I could train him in Ice Magic still, though it was not my chosen form. I went to the location to find him and instead found a young woman talking to herself about the miracle that was that young man's life. I knew instantly whom she was talking about, and upon seeing her cast Ice Magic to move some debris from her path, I was confident she could do just as good of a job – if not better – than I."

"That book," Gray muttered. "You were responsible for Ur finding it… But… Where has if been for all this time? Jii-chan told me that no one had seen it for four-hundred years…"

"He would be correct," Loke responded, "because for all that time, it resided in the Spirit World."

"That was the only place Zeref would not be able to reach it," Yukio explained at the confused and surprised looks of the four mages in front of him. "Zeref was well-aware that it would be his sister's magic that would do away with him, so he also tried to destroy everything of magic that she created, whether it be books or objects. My grandmother risked everything to keep it all safe from Zeref – a major part of that being denying the existence of the fifth volume of Ice Magic even though she knew exactly where it was. You see, it was sealed there in such a way that only a mage who had a contract with a Zodiac Spirit would be able to retrieve it, and Zeref wasn't interested in Celestial Spirit Magic – though he would have been had he known. When I saw that woman searching through the rubble, I knew it was time; I summoned Leo and had him unseal the book. I made a little noise, left the book, and concealed myself with invisibility magic. I knew one day the Chosen One would need those spells, and, thankfully, she fell for the bait and found the fifth volume of Ice Magic."

"His grandmother used my key to seal it in the Spirit World," Loke added. "That was why she passed my key on to him – because I already knew about all about it, where to find it and how to unseal it. Hey, Luce –" he winked at his owner – "bet you didn't know that you're only the fourth mage to have my key, huh?"

"Wait, wait, wait," Cana spoke coming up behind Yukio, having abandoned her barrel the moment the man had called Gray 'Master Fullbuster'. "Why Ice Magic? And why Gray? I mean, no offense, but he's certainly not the most powerful mage in Fiore – not even in Fairy Tail."

"Why Ice Magic, you say? _Hu__ṁ__ tamanē __ḍ__ārka ā'isa sōmpavu__ṁ__, tēmānā vanśaja, tyā__ṁ__ sudhī samaya āvīśa!_ That is why, young lady."

"I entrust Dark Ice to you, his descendant, until the time shall come," Gray muttered darkly.

As everyone stared at him in disbelief, Yukio nodded. "Exactly. Those were Loriel's final words to the world as she sealed her magic in one Gray Fullbuster."

"Y-you _understood _that?!" Natsu stuttered.

"Unfortunately…" Gray sighed, staring down at the table.

"What even _was _that?" Mira asked.

"Gujarati, one of the five lost languages," Yukio supplied. "The Spell to End all Spells is also written in that language, the Ice Creation spell, Dark Ice. According to my grandmother, Ice Creation was one of Loriel's favorites. That was why she wrote the most powerful of magic as an Ice Spell for an Ice Mage."

"What does it do, exactly?" Gray asked slowly.

"That I don't know," Yukio replied with a shrug. "I, myself, have never seen it, after all. I only know what my grandmother told me." He frowned. "You have not even read it yet then?"

Gray shook his head. "It's all so confusing… I…"

"I didn't want him to," Makarov spoke up truthfully. "I had hoped it wouldn't be as necessary as it seemed. Legends can end up twisted from the original story; I didn't want him to have to endure such stress if it was unneeded. The pages are in my office."

"That still doesn't answer my other question," Cana stated, brow furrowed. "Why Gray? If it's an Ice Mage you need, there are others in the world, another one sitting in this very hall right now, as a matter of fact."

Gray ducked his head, bangs overshadowing his dark eyes. "Because I'm the descendant of an illegitimate child of Zeref."

Everyone stared in surprise at the Ice Mage. No one had expected the answer to come from him – much less the answer itself.

Yukio nodded. "Loriel was a very powerful mage – one who was capable of seeing into the future. She knew Gray would be strong enough to bear the burden, and so left it to him. Her magic combined with his will be enough to defeat Zeref – so says the ancient prophecy. Even before he was born, Gray was destined for this. No matter how much Zeref wanted to blot it out, he could not undo what was already written into time. Why of his own lineage? She had a sense humor, I am told; she simply wanted Zeref to be beaten with his own twisted game."

"Why couldn't she, herself, have cast the spell and been done with it?" Erza asked.

"Because she didn't possess the power to wield the spell she had written."

"She wrote a spell she couldn't control?"

He nodded. "I don't know how, but she did."

"And you're telling us that _Gray _is capable of wielding it?" Natsu enquired in slight disbelief.

"That is exactly what I am saying. Not only _is _he capable, but he is the _only one _capable." He turned to Gray. "You know what you must do, don't you?"

Gray silently nodded. He had to learn this spell. But would he be able to do so within twenty-four hours? It was clear that was all the time he had left – much less, actually, since five hours had already passed since then. Feeling a hand squeeze his shoulder in a comforting manner, he finally raised his head and gazed around at the mages gathered around.

"Mina…" he whispered, taking in the group surrounding him. Lucy, Natsu, Erza, Elfman, Gajeel, Mira, Cana, even Loke and Gildarts… Lyon, Sherry, Tobi, and Jura… Hibiki, Eve, Ren, and Ichiya… Yukio and at least a hundred members of other guilds he didn't even know the names of…

Even though he was facing a nightmare, he somehow felt reassured. In every nightmare he'd ever had, there had never been another living person present. So, he guessed, maybe that was why.

This time, he knew, he wasn't alone.


	8. Chapter 7 Race Against Time

**A/N: **All I want to know is why this character: આ is supposedly spelled correctly according to MicrosoftWord while everything else in Gujarati is wrong... o.O Anyway, I am terribly sorry this took so long, but work has been...very time-consuming. That is why I must also say that the next chapter is bound to take awhile, as well, for the same reason. I guess it means my boss likes me though, right? Since I'm scheduled for the maximum amount of hours a part-time employee can work in a week...

_Ch. Notes: _Dragon Slayers... though they are not named, yes, it is implied that Sting and Rogue are there. (: Not a lot of battles yet - unless you count the emotional one in Gray's head... Uhm, I'm not great with big, long battle scenes. If anyone has any pointers, that would be lovely (seeing as how next chapter is very battle-oriented...) (:

_Language Notes: _Nothing new, I believe...

_Mood Music: _Listening to it just now and... wow. The Sound of War by The Sleep Design.

_Special Thanks: _For Reviewing: ElodieKumari94, sereneskydragonslayer, a wonderful Guest (uhm.. it was just sighed as 'Guest'...), MIROH!, sktrgrl13, Kopaka777, and The Awesome God Apollo. Gomen'nasai for not replying this time around! I, uhm, forgot? *guilty look* ...For adding to faves/alerts: Slvtgarden, Ryoga1989, smexyforever, sktrgrl13, and Kopaka777. Love you all, mina! :D

_Disclaimer: _Oi. I just told you I work part time somewhere (in a grocery store actually). If I owned Fairy Tail, I wouldn't need to work a part-time job.

* * *

_Chapter Seven – Race Against Time  
__February 3__rd__, X785 – 1:59 PM_

It took only a moment for Master Makarov to return from his office, a number of worn pages clutched in his worn hand. The plan was simple, after all – simple and workable. The assembled mages of both the other guilds and their own would spread out around Magnolia, leaving the most concentrated amount of mages nearest to the guild hall, to warn and protect the citizens while Gray worked on the spell. As such, very few mages remained in the guild; only the master himself, Gray, and Yukio were actually inside the hall now. No one knew what Zeref's intentions were – if he would only come once the twenty-four hours had passed or if he would come sooner – so they were not taking any chances. Makarov only hoped the citizens would heed the warnings and get out of town as quickly as possible.

As the guild master approached the table, pages in hand, he could clearly read the tension on the young mage's face. He sighed quietly. No one should have to bear such a burden alone; he only wished there was something more he and the other mages could offer besides their support. When he reached the table, he gently laid the pages on its surface next to where the Ice Mage's hands rested, tightly gripping a glass of water.

Gray's eyes flickered briefly to the pages before returning to the glass in front of him, his hands tightening around it. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he released his death grip from the glass and turned his attention to the pages. There was no reason to be afraid, he reasoned, until he knew just what the spell entailed and if he could pull it off. Slowly he picked up the pages and read the first line. "These pages contain the spell to end all spells," he muttered. Just reading the first line renewed the tension he felt, as if those nine words held all the power in the world. And, he supposed, they really did if it was enough to work the most powerful mage that ever existed into a frenzy.

Taking a gulp of his water, he summoned up his courage and moved to the second line of text.

ધ્યાનલો, ઓહઆઇસવિઝાર્ડ, આપાનાંઓમાટેનથીકરીરહ્યાંછેથોડુંલેવામાં! તમેઆગળપસારકરુંછું, કશુંછેએવુંલાગેછે! એક માત્ર માટે આ જોડણી નથી અસ્વીકાર કરશે; મારા શબ્દો ધ્યાન લાગી અને આગળ કોઈ પસાર કરવા માટે, જાદુ છે કે આ ચેતવણી બહાર આવેલો માટે બીજું કંઇ કરવા માટે સક્ષમ છે નાશ થશે! તમેપસારકરુંછું? તમેક્ષેત્રજ્યાંજાદુસીલછેપસારકરુંછું?

His breath caught in his throat. This spell… Just what was it that it spoke of sealing magic? And why would that be a warning to the reader? Taking a deep, shaking breath, he translated the text aloud; perhaps Yukio, someone who knew far more than he, could make sense of it? "Take heed, oh Ice Mage, for these pages are not to be taken lightly! Dare you pass beyond, nothing is as it seems! For only one this spell will not reject; take heed of my words and pass no further, for the magic that lies beyond this warning will destroy as nothing else is capable! Dare you pass? Dare you pass to the realm where magic is sealed?"

Yukio's brow furrowed. "What is that supposed to mean?" he muttered.

Gray ran a hand through his dark hair. "I was hoping you could tell me…"

"Maybe it just means that the spell will destroy anyone who tries to use it – except for you, of course… Keep going for now; maybe it will explain itself?"

Gray nodded before turning his attention back to the page. It wasn't until he turned the page over that he was given a concrete answer as to what the spell actually did and to what the warning was for. Gray very nearly fell out of his chair when he reached the end of the second page, earning him worried looks from the other two mages present. Taking several deep breaths, he attempted futilely to calm himself down. Hands and voice shaking, he finally explained after quite a few minutes of silence. "This spell," he whispered. "I understand why it's called 'the Spell to End All Spells' now. Powerful magic indeed… It – it seals the target's magic within them so they cannot use it any longer with a seal that will last for all eternity. Not even something like Moon Drip can reverse it." He paused for a moment, an internal battle raging. "Knowing how important magic is to a mage, I don't know if I could do that to anyone – even if it is Zeref."

"_You must," _Yukio appealed. "Don't you get it? If you don't do this, Zeref will destroy the world as we know it!"

Gray clenched his fists. "He is still a mage," he ground out through clenched teeth. "He will still feel the same as any other would!"

"Then you ask for death – for yourself and everyone who has gathered here to protect you as well as those who could not make it but willed to be here."

Gray flinched at his words. He couldn't deny the truth of them. It was Zeref or the rest of the world – he couldn't save them both. Although, even if he could, he knew Zeref would simply come back again in the future to finish what he had started. It didn't matter. The only choice he could make – it was painfully obvious. He ducked his head, dark bangs shadowing darker eyes. "Regardless, I'm not sure that I can," he whispered, starting to shake once again. "I know what will happen if I don't, but I also what can happen if I do. This spell hasn't been perfected; as such, it could easily backfire. Instead of just Zeref's magic being sealed, the victim could end up being myself instead, or both of us, or everyone else within range of the spell. If I have any doubt or fear when I cast it, it is guaranteed that I will lose my magic, but who knows who else will as well…"

Before anything else could be said, a loud explosion emanated from outside the guild, jerking the three mages' attentions to the sudden commotion. As expected, a moment later, as the sound still reverberated around them, Natsu crashed through the guild doors. "Jii-chan!" he called. "It's – it's Zeref! He's here already – destroying buildings!"

Makarov stood from his seat. "Go find Warren and tell him to get in communication with everyone. Tell them to move on Zeref; we have to buy as much time as possible to evacuate Magnolia." As Natsu turned and ran from the guild again, the master turned to face a wide-eyed Gray. "We're all counting on you, Gray." Then, he too, departed from the guild hall.

A beat of silence passed before Yukio spoke. "So what will you do, Chosen One?" he murmured. "The fate of the world rests on your shoulders."

"I… I can't…"

"Yes. You _can._ I know you can, Gray. Makarov knows it, too. Loriel knew it. All of the mages outside are aware of it, though they don't know exactly what it is you can do. _Everyone _seems to know it except for _you._ Have a little faith in yourself, Gray. If there is one thing I know – one beneficial thing I learned from Zeref – it is this: When the mage is certain, the magic will _always_ obey – even if the spell is unfamiliar. You _can _do it, Gray, and you can do is successfully."

Silence ensued only to be broken after a tense moment as Gray abruptly stood from his chair and moved a few paces out from the table as Yukio watched curiously, brow raised. Taking a deep breath, Gray slowly moved his left foot slightly back, planting it firmly all the same. Yukio couldn't stop the smile that began to spread across his face.

Gray had made his choice.

* * *

Zeref smiled at the sight before him. From his vantage point on top of Kardia Cathedral, he could clearly see as every mage in Magnolia – with the obvious exception of Gray – came rushing towards him after the little explosion that destroyed a section of the shopping center. With just under eighteen hours remaining now, everything was going according to plan. Whether or not the Ice Mage was trying to learn the spell now was of little concern to him – he could sense the power of this unknown spell, and he knew it wasn't possible for anyone to learn such a thing in such a short amount of time. Although, even if he had adequate time, Zeref knew it was too powerful for any mage to wield with the exception of he himself, perhaps – for even then, he wasn't entirely certain he could; what his sister had been thinking in trusting such a thing to someone so weak, he didn't know – neither did he care since it meant no one could possibly interfere, regardless of how many mages were present now. In fact, the number was, quite simply, a convenience for him. He saw it was only fitting for the most powerful mages to be the first to be destroyed in his reign of terror; now he would be able to destroy them all at once, plus countless others! After today, no one would dare to oppose his rule – not after he successfully ousted seven of the ten saint wizards along with the supposedly great Titania and Salamander, not to mention four other Dragon Slayers, as well. Yes, this would certainly be a day to remember!

He turned his head slightly as he sensed the first onslaught of attack. Wonderful! His grin widened as he saw that his first victim would be the Great Titania. As her swords flew towards him in an attack that most would fear, he simply raised a hand. The swords turned in the air and plummeted straight into the ground below instead. With a flick of his wrist, he sent her flying into a nearby building. His grinned turned to a smirk. This was too easy!

Turning to face the other mages – to dare them to try to stop him – movement caught his eye. He turned his head back to find Titania rising up from the rubble of the building. His eyebrow rose. Perhaps this would be a fun challenge after all…

"Do you really think _any _of us would fall so easily to the likes of you?" she snarled at him. "You obviously don't know whom you're messing with!"

"Neither do you, _Titania," _Zeref chuckled dryly, "if you really think that's all I've got! You might as well just give in now; I really don't want to hurt a lady, but if I must, then I must. You haven't any hope for winning, after all. That boy back in the guild – what was his name? Gray? You have all put your faith in him, but I can tell you right now that it is futile. That spell is far too strong for anyone; he will not master it for it is not possible to master!"

"Even if that bunch of lies were the truth," a voice spoke from behind Zeref, "what kind of a guild would we be if we simply handed him over to you?" Zeref turned to meet the onyx eyes of the Fire Dragon Slayer.

Zeref chuckled menacingly. "Don't tell me you all still think all of this is really about that Ice Mage?" He was laughing as he finished his sentence. "You really have no idea!"

"What?" Natsu asked, eyes widening.

"That's right," Zeref confirmed. "It might have been at one point, but, since he doesn't have the time or the power to succeed with that spell, my only purpose is to destroy anyone who opposes me. Even if you turned him over now, I wouldn't think twice about taking you all down. This is simply a warning to the rest of the world of what will happen if they don't comply. All of you gathering here… Well, let's just say that you've helped my cause immensely! Truly, that mage may be the only one who could stop me, but, you see, when one is running against the clock, the clock always wins!"

"We may not be able to stop the clock," Natsu growled, "but we _can _give him more time by delaying _you!"_

Zeref grinned darkly. "We'll see about that!"

* * *

_7:03 PM_

Gray slumped tiredly into his chair, his head coming to rest on top of his forearm. "At this rate, by the time I learn this thing I won't have any energy left to execute it…"

"It is a curious spell," Yukio mused, absently scratching his chin. "I have never heard of such a one that uses so many techniques. You are doing very well, though, Gray. And you still have thirteen hours…"

"I don't think it's enough time… And the more time I take, the more people will get hurt. Who knows how many have been struck down already."

"There is always time, Gray, as long as you are alive. And they have Wendy; I'm sure they are doing fine."

"She's gotten stronger, it's true, but even her magic can only last so long."

Yukio sighed. "I know. But that is all-the-more reason for you to persevere. Do not for one moment lose hope, Gray, for the moment you lose hope is the moment all Fiore loses hope."

The hall was eerily silent for several moments. "Am I really the only hope there is?" Gray hesitantly whispered.

"You are. No one else is capable of shouldering this burden. You are the only hope for all of Earthland."

"No pressure, right?" he returned with a slight smirk as he slowly sat up.

"None at all," Yukio returned with a grin of his own.

Gray wearily rubbed the back of his neck before picking up the ninth page and moving back out away from the table. "Guess that means I can take it easy, huh?"

"Absolutely!" Yukio stood from his seat. "Keep practicing, Gray," he continued more seriously. "I'm going to go check out the battle – see how they're doing. I cannot lie to you; I, too, am curious to know how they are faring against Zeref. After all, in all honesty, it is rather impressive that they have even lasted this long. Perhaps Zeref has underestimated the power of mages in this day and age."

Gray nodded. "Erza once told me that having something to fight for makes a mage stronger. Fighting for all of Fiore… Well, I think that gives them all more strength than anything ever has."

"I think it's more than that," Yukio conceded. "It's more than just for Fiore – their homes, comrades, families. I think this time it is for the future. They care not what happens to themselves or anyone else as long as there is a future left." He paused. "I am truly glad I have lived to see this age. To see mages who will fight for something so intangible… It is something I have never witnessed, and, more than likely, something I will never see again even for living for all of eternity." He turned to walk away. "You are truly blessed, Gray, to be surrounded with mages who care. In my time, it was not so. The few mages who existed didn't care what happened to others. But here I see mages from all of Fiore bound together for a common cause. It is truly a wonderful age to live in."

"Truly blessed?" Gray scoffed lightly. "I don't know about that." He turned his face away. "If I were, this burden wouldn't belong to me…"

"On the contrary, that is part of the reason you are blessed. To be chosen for so great a purpose is the highest of honor."

"I don't care if history remembers me… I only wish to protect my nakama…"

"That is exactly why you have to learn that spell. You wish to protect them, you say? That is the only way to do so! You see, Gray? You will be able to protect them! Loriel knew four-hundred years ago that you would need her power to protect them. She has only given you what you desired. So do it, Gray – protect them! You have always had their backs, but now it's your turn to step to the frontline!"

"But I'm no hero," Gray murmured.

Yukio turned back to the Ice Mage. "Not a hero? Who says you are not a hero, Gray Fullbuster?"

"Natsu is always the one to save the day… I… I'm just not…"

"The hero is not always the one to 'save the day' as you put it. The hero isn't always the one in the spotlight. For the one who 'saves the day' is simply the last one standing at the end of the battle. Sometimes it is the ones in the background who are truly the heroes for the day wouldn't be saved without their support. You are already a hero, Gray, because the heroes are simply the ones who stand up to the villains – the ones who chose to do right no matter the consequence to themselves. _That _is what being a hero means, Gray, and you have already fulfilled that definition.

"You wish to have the strength to protect you nakama, Gray? You already have it! You have only to use it. You may not have much time to learn to use it, but that is why they are out there, fighting. _For you._ Zeref has given only so much time – making this a race against the clock as, truthfully, he could finish them all right this instant if he so wished. For that, at least, I am thankful – that he always holds to his agreements. But I am also thankful for such mages that exist in this age, comrades that will fight for another whom they don't even really know. They will fight until the last for the simple reason that you are a mage. It simply doesn't matter the opponent or what happens to themselves in their eyes – they will keep fighting until the last. They would fight until the end of the earth to give you enough time, to stall the clock, to give the world a future brighter than today. Will you also fight for them? Let them lend you their strength? To bring forth a brighter future? They are fighting for you…

"So tell me, Gray Fullbuster, will you fight for them as well?"


	9. Chapter 9 Black Dawn

**A/N:** The only excuse I have for this taking so drastically long is that my muse hid under my bed and wouldn't even come out with the bribe of cookies. I tried to write this chapter; I really did! You can ask ElodieKumari94 how horrible it turned out. BUT spring is here, and for some reason my muse came out with the weather, and so here it is! Finally! Can you believe that I wrote about half of this just today? :D

_Ch. Notes: _Because of the stupid seven-year time skip, everyone NOT from Fairy Tail is the age they are during the GMG arc (I think it's just Rogue mentioned, but just so ya know...). Also kudos to anyone who knows where I got the last line of the chapter - I couldn't resist!

_Lang. Notes: _Nothing knew, but it's been a while so... mina=everyone, hai=yes, nakama=friends/comrades/allies, arigato=thank you. Also, some honorifics: -san which can be used for pretty much anyone younger or the same age you are (actually, I might have taken this one out? too lazy to look, haha), -kun/-chan which is more for friends, -sama which is someone superior to you/older than you are.

_Special thanks: _For reviewing: sereneskydragonslayer, rewinsan, The Awesome God Apollo, and ElodieKumari94. Did I ever reply? I honestly don't remember; it's been sooo long! Many apologies if I didn't... For adding to faves/alerts: SullyWullybunny, Totsuka Sakegiri8, Yuu Uchiha, The Night Hunter, and xxHoshinoSoraxx.

_Mood Music: _Everything until the last section (which is labelled at the time of 6:42 AM), I suggest Black Dawn, composed by Adrian von Ziegler. For the final section, Dark Energy by Erik Ekholm.

_Disclaimer: _In my depression at not having a new episode last night, I re-watched the first four episodes of Ao no Exorcist. Obviously, I don't own Fairy Tail.

* * *

_Chapter Eight – Black Dawn  
__February 3__rd__, X785 – 7:29 PM_

Yukio stepped out onto the roof of the guild building. As he moved to the edge and witnessed the destruction that lay in the town below, he honestly couldn't say he was surprised. Zeref had never been one to care about such things – after all, he only cared about himself. As he stared down at the dismal scene, he was vaguely reminded of the destruction of another town ten years earlier. Zeref was certainly thorough in his destruction; Yukio would give him that at least. The area around the cathedral had been utterly decimated; even the once-great Kardia itself had been reduced to no more than a pile of brick and sandstone. Magnolia would have much to rebuild once this was all over.

Yet, below him, in the darkness and chill of the winter night, mages still stood to oppose the Black Mage. The fight was futile, really, so he wasn't at all sure why they bothered now that the town had been completely evacuated. And yet… Yet he thought he understood. What else _could _they do, after all?

What else could _he _even do now? _Nothing, _a voice whispered in his mind, _absolutely nothing._ Gray was the only one who could truly do anything now. No matter how hard anyone else fought, the battle would end in less than thirteen hours. Whether it would be by Gray's hand or Zeref's, no one could yet tell; Yukio knew he still doubted himself even though he was diligently learning the spell anyway. Time would wind down to the final moment, he was sure, as Gray made his decision.

As he turned back towards the door, Yukio had to wonder if Loriel had seen what the outcome would be, if she had truly already known that Gray _would_ win or if he just _could_ win. Had she seen him actually defeat Zeref or just the _possibility_ of him defeating Zeref? And the most frightening possibility: Had she only seen him _trying _to defeat Zeref?

Closing the door softly behind him, shutting out the melee on the street, he had to wonder himself if Gray really would defeat Zeref. He sighed. The fate of the world had been left to a nineteen-year old mage who hadn't even achieved S-Class rank yet. He had to wonder if this is what Loriel had seen or if she had seen him fighting Zeref later in life. Would he have been capable in, say, five years but not now? Or was he ready now? Yukio had no way of knowing.

"A heavy burden you carry, young one," he murmured to himself. "A heavy burden indeed…"

* * *

"You'll be alright if I go out to join them?"

Gray nodded. "You can't do any more good in here than out there."

"I know you can learn it, Gray. Have faith in yourself, and you cannot lose."

The Ice Mage watched the man's retreating back, wondering if – rather, _hoping that _– his words were true. He wasn't so sure. Even if he could learn it in time, could he bring himself to use it? Zeref… The most powerful mage to ever exist… The one responsible for the deaths of his parents and the loss of his mentor… But, despite it all, Zeref was still a mage. And a mage without magic was a mage without purpose – a mage without a reason to live. Despite everything, could he take that away? Despite what would inevitably follow, could he really bring himself to do it?

"_A mage is a mage, despite whether he or she uses magic for good or evil,"_ Makarov had told him once. _"That is why Fairy Tail's way is mercy. A Fairy Tail mage would not take the life of another mage unless there is absolutely no way around it."_

He knew what he had to do. …But could he do it when the time came? With a sigh, he closed his eyes momentarily.

_Loriel, _he silently prayed, _I hope you knew what you were doing…_

* * *

"Arigato, Levy," Natsu spoke, flame erupting around his fists once again. The Solid Script Mage nodded as the Dragon Slayer turned back to the battle. Natsu stopped short, however, when something moving towards him caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to get a better look before smirking and calling out. "Well, it's about time you joined in on the fun!"

"Tell me something," Yukio enquired as he drew closer. "Why are you all bothering to fight still? You are aware you cannot really buy more time for Gray, right? Zeref will simply finish you all off once the twenty-four hours are up. The citizens are safe; so why bother?"

He smirked. "I guess we all have our own reasons to be out here… Some just like the fight for one thing. For others…" He shook his head, his expression serious once again, turning it back to watch his nakama fight. "It's hard to find someone who can be both your rival and your friend, ya know? Even if I can't really do anything to help Gray, the least I can do is fight at his side. He's going to do everything he can, I know, so I need to do everything I can, too – even if, in the end, it's not much help at all. I just can't sit idly by while he tries to fight alone. He does too much of that as it is. Gray has always had my back no matter what; now it's my turn to have his." He glanced at Yukio out of the corner of his eye. "Does that answer your question?"

Light formed around the general's hands and, a moment later, he was holding a sword in each hand. "I knew there was a reason I liked all of you," he muttered. A little louder, he added, "If that is enough reason for you, then that is enough reason for me. Besides, I always wanted the chance to strike back at the Black Mage!"

Natsu smirked – though it only lasted a moment before a shockwave swept over the area, throwing every mage still standing to the ground.

"So you have finally dared to show yourself, _General," _Zeref sneered. "I was wondering when you would show up. I knew you were here somewhere, after all. In all honestly, I am quite pleased with your arrival; after all of your treachery, it will be quite fun to see your demise alongside everyone else here. After all, if anyone would try to raise a rebellion in the future, it would be you. You have just made my job that much easier!"

"I would not count on your victory just yet, Zeref!" Yukio countered as he and the Fire Dragon Slayer picked themselves back up. "That young man is stronger than you give him credit!"

"That's right," Natsu added, his flames growing larger around him. "If you think Gray can't do it, you're obviously a lot stupider than you look!"

Erza was the next to pick herself back up from the ground, with the master of Fairy Tail right beside her. "We won't let you win, Zeref!" In a flash, she had requipped once again, this time into the armor that suited the Titania best – no armor at all. In each hand she wielded a sword. She would be all offense from that moment on.

To Erza's right, Lucy pulled out one of her Zodiac keys. "Open! Gate of the Twins – Gemini!" The spirit instantly changed to look exactly like Lucy. "When we stand together, we will not fall!" In an instant, the Celestial Spirit Mage had summoned out Scorpio and her double had summoned Sagittarius.

"You've picked on the wrong generation of mages," Loke smirked.

All around Zeref mages were rising once again from the rubble.

"You cannot win!" Zeref declared. "Not against the creator of destruction himself! In case you hadn't noticed by now, anything you can cast, I can control. Have you not pride enough to realize when you have been defeated?"

"Oh, we have plenty of pride!" Juvia replied. "And that is exactly why we can't give in to you!"

"Then prepare yourselves," Zeref scoffed, "for the undertaker!"

"No, _you_ prepare _your_self, _Zeref," _Gajeel growled. "After all, Fairy Tail ain't your typical breed of mages. In other words, you might be the king of destruction, but _you ain't seen nothin' yet!"_

* * *

_10:07 PM_

Gray wearily sat down at the table now covered in a few lose pages, the fifth volume of Ice Magic, and a few dishes as well. He glanced at the clock: ten hours remained now. Ten hours and this would all be over; then he could rest. But for now… He turned to the next page of the spell. The text almost made him want to laugh – laugh because the passed fourteen hours had obviously been for nothing! Despair slowly settled over mind. "All of that," he muttered, "and I wasn't even learning Dark Ice?" He let out a breathy laugh, full of misery. "I suppose I should have known… One spell couldn't possible use so many techniques…"

Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself there were still several pages and plowed on. The ever-growing crease in his brow deepened along with his frown. "Not all for nothing," he muttered. "All for everything…"

_Without having learned these techniques, _the page read, _it would be impossible to learn Dark Ice. These techniques have allowed you to open stores of magic within – magic you will need and otherwise would not have access to. But now, go forward; the Spell to End All Spells awaits you!_

The words of the spell written next in the same graceful scrawl captivated the Ice Mage. No matter how many hours he had been reading this language, there was something about the spell itself – something more…powerful perhaps?

હાર્ટ હિંમત

વિલ સંખ્યાબળ

ભય ની ઊંડાઈ

પાવર ની ઊંડાઈ

વધુ નથી!

સમય અમાપ

મેજિક નજન્મેલું

ભાવ થીજી

ક્યારેય જાગૃત

ડાર્ક આઇસ!

"Dark Ice," he whispered. "Is there truly a spell that could be so powerful? So beautiful and destructive at the same time…?" Shaking his head, he stood to his feet, picking up the next pages he would need.

"As you once told me, Papa," he whispered. "You never know what can happen – especially when magic is involved."

* * *

_11:43 PM_

Rogue spat blood from the corner of his mouth. "Can this kid really save us all? …He is running out of time…"

Yukio glanced at the young Dragon Slayer from the corner of his eye before briefly closing them and focusing on the Ice Mage still back in the guild hall. "Do you doubt him, Rogue-kun?"

"It can take the most powerful and experienced mage _weeks_ to learn a difficult spell. Gray-san is no older than I and neither powerful nor experienced. I think I have a right to doubt."

"Well said." Yukio smirked, his eyes opening again. "But he will not fail us. I can sense his strength; he just needs a little more time."

"What proof do you have of that?"

"Proof?" Yukio raised an eyebrow in question. "I have no proof for you, Rogue-kun. I have only hope that Loriel knew what she was doing when she entrusted this power to him."

"That may not be enough," Rogue stated quietly. "I am not the only one to doubt him. I hear murmurs from the others, even among the mages of Fairy Tail. Many are beginning to wonder if we should still be fighting Zeref, if there is a point to the battle now that the citizens are safe."

"_No one _will be safe if Zeref wins," Yukio cut in sharply. "There is not a corner of Earthland any one could run to that Zeref would not have power over."

"They still wonder why we battle. Whether or not Gray-san can defeat Zeref is of no consequence. Why is it we still battle, Yukio-sama, if we cannot win ourselves? Why not just retreat to the guild now?"

"Because if we do," Yukio sighed, "Zeref wins."

Rogue turned to the older mage in surprise. "What?"

"Zeref could end this anytime he wishes," Yukio elaborated. "He doesn't believe Gray is truly a threat, so as long as we want the battle, he will humor us – toy with us. But I have been made aware during this battle that as soon as we decide we are tired of fighting…"

"He will finish us and Gray-san as well," Rogue finished darkly.

Yukio nodded. "And that is truly why we continue to fight. We honestly have no other option but death."

"That will not keep the others from doubting him."

Yukio strode away from the Dragon Slayer and climbed atop a pile of debris. Raising his voice, he called out to the mages scattered around below. "Hear me, mina!" The battle halted momentarily as everyone turned to face him. "Do not lose faith! Gray will not fail us." He turned to address Zeref, a smirk twisting his lips. "Even you cannot deny it, Zeref. You know as well as I the power he wields. You can sense it, can you not?" When the Black Mage didn't answer, Yukio continued. "Stand together, mages of Fiore; let our bonds give him strength!" A mighty battle cry filled the night.

"For Fiore!"

* * *

_February 4__th__, X785 – 2:09 AM_

_Zeref laughed._

_Gray stared on in shock._

"_Was that supposed to defeat me, Little Mage?" Zeref asked coyly as black magic formed in the palm of his hand. "That is exactly why an_ Ice_ Mage should not play with _fire_!"_

_Gray continued to stare in shock. It… hadn't worked?! No… No, this wasn't possible! He tore his gaze from Zeref to stare at his own shaking hand. Nothing. There was nothing there now. He… He was incapable… His magic was gone…_

_He looked up from his shaking hand, looked long at his friends scattered in the debris. Erza's armor was gone, as were Lucy's keys. Natsu and Gajeel were both staring at their hands as he had been a moment before. All around him those who had so easily supported him were discovering what he had done to them._

_It was his fault._

_Something had gone wrong, and it was his fault._

_It was his fault that Zeref was the only one left standing capable of magic._

_He fell to his knees._

_He had failed them. Everyone. All of _Fiore. _Because he hadn't been strong enough._

_It was over._

_And Zeref had won._

Gray jerked awake, his head flying up and backwards, smashing into the back of his seat. Breathing hard and massaging the now-sore spot on the back of his head, he attempted to calm down. _It was just a dream,_ he repeated silently to himself.

But a voice in the back of his mind wouldn't let it go. _So were all those other premonitions. This could come true, too._

_Shut up! _His mind shouted back. _That doesn't mean this will happen, too!_

_Do you really believe that? _The voice continued to whisper. _Everything has happened just as you had seen. Do you really believe that this time will be different?_

He stood up abruptly, slamming his hands onto the table. "But this _is _different," he insisted, his voice shaking – from fear or anger, he didn't know. "This time, it all depends on what _I_ do. _I can _be strong enough! … I have to be…"

_But will you be? _The voice asked.

Gray had no answer.

* * *

_6:42 AM_

"The sky remains dark."

Yukio nodded. "Hai, Lu-chan. It is the work of the Black Mage. He intends to drive us into an age of darkness; I believe the sun will not shine again until he has been defeated."

"I don't doubt Gray."

"I never said you did." Yukio glanced at the female.

She nodded. "I'm afraid that, although I haven't spoken it, I have thought it." She shook her head. "I don't know how anyone could defeat Zeref."

"It may be true that he cannot," Yukio murmured. "But if we don't continue to _believe _that he can, despite the odds, then he most certainly will not. My grandmother was a very close friend of Loriel's. She told me once that Loriel's true power came not from her magic but from those around her who believed in her. Gray has told me he also believes that having someone to fight for makes a mage much stronger than he or she would otherwise be capable. Zeref himself told me that if the will of the user is strong enough then magic will bend to it, no matter the difference in strength between the spell and the caster. Those thoughts in mind, I believe Gray can and will have the power to use Dark Ice." He sighed. "The only thing that will hinder him is he himself."

"His own will?"

"Hai. If he is not careful, the spell will not bend to his will. If he is afraid or unsure… It will be the end of him."

"I grow tired of this game," Zeref growled, drawing all attention to himself. "Enough is enough. If you will not surrender willingly, I will simply force you to do so!" Whipping his arms out from his sides, a second shockwave threw everyone to the ground once again. Turning his palms outward, fingers pointed towards the dark skies, black magic gathered and swirled around his being.

"Goodbye, _mages of Fiore!"_

"Not… so fast," Makarov called out as he pushed himself up from the ground. "Do you honestly think… we can be disposed of so easily?"

Natsu was the next to rise up, a smirk twisting across his lips. "Believe me, a lot more people than I care to count have tried. _And failed._"

"Do you want to know why, _Zeref?" _the Titania spat as, she too, regained her ground. "Because we have a reason to fight! And until that reason is taken away, we _will not _be _defeated!"_

Zeref smirked evilly as magic continued to build around him. "Then I suppose I will just have to dispose of that reason, won't I?" Magic still swirling about him, ever increasing, as he moved towards the guild.

"Stand up, you brats!" Makarov roared above the wind created from Zeref's magic. "I refuse to fail after all of this time! Stand and defend!"

As one body, every mage who could still fight moved to block Zeref's path.

"_**You shall not pass!"**_


	10. Chapter 9 The Last Stand

**A/N: **Much shorter than I anticipated, but that always seems to be the way my final chapters turn out. Yes, this is the final chapter. However, don't kill me when you get to the end; there is still an epilogue to come. (: And, believe it or not, the final scene is where this whole sha-bang came from. I had a picture in my head of Gray executing a powerful spell and you got this whole story as result...

_Ch. Notes: _Uhm... One section in italics is a memory/flashback. Enjoy this final chapter. (:

_Lang. Notes: _None here either, for once...

_Special Thanks: _For Reviewing: sereneskydragonslayer, xxHoshinoSoraxx, rewinsan, ElodieKumari94, and SnowKawasagi. For adding to alerts/faves: April Hawkeye, fanssss, and deedeeroki. To everyone, everywhere, for reviewing or adding to faves/alerts or just simply reading my story, THANK YOU! I love you all. (:

_Disclaimer: _I re-watched all of Sword Art Online this past week... If I owned it, believe you me, I would have written the next chapter of the manga by now.

_Mood Music: _For most of it, I really couldn't find just the right music. Something between They Fought as Legends (Zach Hemsey) and Warrior's Lullaby (also Zach Hemsey) and Final Front (?) and A Hero Will Rise (Future World Music). However! If you read it the same speed I did as a proofed it, the final section can be perfectly timed! Right after Gray's memory/flaskback/whatever-you-want-to-call-it, play Zach Hemsey's See What I've Become. (:

* * *

_Chapter Nine – The Last Stand  
__February 4__th__, X785 – 7:01 AM_

Zeref chuckled, a smirk twisting his lips. "Do any of you truly believe you can stand in my path? Such stupidity! Is that boy in there really worth your lives to protect when he cannot even save you? Surrender yourselves now and perhaps we can reach an agreement other than death."

"And how would that _agreement," _Erza scoffed, "be any better than death? I would rather die a thousand deaths than submit to the likes of you!"

Laughter boomed across the open space. "You know as well as I that he possesses the power – I can sense it, and so can you!" Yukio countered. "And it only continues to grow every moment; are you afraid, Zeref? It would be well if you were!"

The Black Mage's smirk turned to a scowl. "I will destroy him just as I destroyed Loriel. There is nothing that I fear!"

"Except for Gray, apparently," Natsu smirked. "If you weren't afraid of him, then you wouldn't need to destroy him!"

"I do not fear him _now," _Zeref stated plainly. "I only fear his _potential."_

"So you _admit _to being afraid!" Natsu's smirk widened.

"Enough of this! I tire of you all."

"Just try to destroy us," Makarov taunted. "Then you will see what a Fairy Tail mage is made of!"

* * *

_7:04 AM_

Gray looked up, startled as Loke suddenly appeared to his right, battered and bruised. "Loke!"

"I cannot stay long, Gray," the spirit breathed. "But I had to warn you before it's too late! I don't have much strength left, so I will only be able to say this once: I hope you have learned enough of that spell by now to execute it. If you haven't… Well, this is the end of the line. Zeref is front of the guild now. Everyone tried to stand against him still, but they all have fallen now, Gray. He is coming for you. He will kill you. He will kill them. You have to hurry. We're counting on you, Gray; we know you can do it!" As he shattered into light, Loke smiled and held high the Fairy Tail sign. "Good luck, my friend!"

The Ice Mage could only stare on in horror after his departed friend. He swallowed harshly. He still wasn't at all sure he would be able to pull it off. Especially after that dream he'd had… If it came true like the others had, he would fail.

Clenching his fists at his sides, he moved towards the door. Did he really have a choice, after all? It was either death or failing with the spell and _then _death. He had to at least try. Maybe it was just his stubborn nature, but he refused to die without a fight. He refused to _give up _to a monster. It wouldn't happen today, or any other day.

As he pushed open the door of the guild, his resolve almost left him at the sight that lay before him. Half of Magnolia lay in ruins, the once-great Kardia even a pile of ash. He stopped abruptly in the door way, staring out, the scene all-too familiar for his liking. And there, in the center of it all, his red eyes shining with victory, was the one responsible for it all.

Movement to his left caught his attention. That was when Loke's words hit home. _"They all have fallen now…"_ Lying in the debris of what was left of the town, were his nakama – all of them with nothing more to give. Something in him snapped then. No one – _no one _– hurt his nakama and got away with it!

"Ice Make: Lance!"

Zeref simply smirked, a hand rising before him. At the flick of a finger, the ice shattered.

But Gray would not be put out so easily. "Ice Make: Saucer!" Once again, it disintegrated before his very eyes.

Gray unconsciously took a half step back. How in the world…? Clenching his teeth, he set his resolve. He _was not _going down. Not _here, _not _now, _not _ever_ to this mage! Without a second thought, he rushed forwards towards the Black Mage. If he couldn't take him down with magic, maybe he could take him down with shear force.

However, when Gray was within a few feet, Zeref simply flicked his wrist to the side, a wind whipping out of nowhere, sweeping Gray off his feet and sending him flying. Gray didn't waste any time in picking himself back up again. He couldn't take Zeref with magic; he couldn't take him on with brute force, either. What did that leave him with?

_Dark Ice, _a voice in his mind whispered. _You have to use Dark Ice!_

Zeref turned towards him. "Was that supposed to intimidate me, little Mage?" he taunted. "I hope that isn't all you've got or my sister was truly and sadly mistaken of your abilities."

Gray tried again. "Ice Make: -!"

"I wouldn't waste your energy," Zeref interrupted boredly. "As all of your little _friends _have already discovered, magic is of no use against me, the creator of Destruction! Anything that can cause destruction, I can control. Just give up now, Ice Mage, and I will spare you from a painful death."

"Obviously you've learned nothing from battling my nakama," Gray spat, "so let me spell it out for you: We. Don't. Give. Up!"

"And what do you intend to do then? You can't honestly tell me that you intend to use Dark Ice, do you? Because that would be very, _very _stupid on your part. Do you want to know why no one has ever attempted it before? not even Loriel herself? Because there is no one in the world who can control it! It will destroy you, Gray Fullbuster; you know that as well I do."

Gray felt cornered, the dream playing over and over again in his mind. His head fell forward in defeat.

"There is nothing you can do for yourself or for them. All of this has been futile. Had you just handed yourself over quietly, I would have been merciful and killed them all quickly. But, that wasn't to be. Now, I shall have to make it long and painful for them. And you, Gray Fullbuster, shall watch, knowing you are completely helpless to stop it. What will you do then? What will you do when there is no one left to save you, no one left for you to fight for?" Zeref fixed his piercing, red gaze on the frozen Ice Mage before him.

"What will you do, Gray Fullbuster, when your back is up against the wall?"

He couldn't answer, couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Would this really be the end of everything? This certainly hadn't been how he pictured his life ending. Dying of old age, sometimes; dying on an S-class mission while protecting those closest to him, most definitely. But never this way. Never while standing by, unable to do _anything!_ And it hurt. He had lost his parents, watching, powerless to stop Deliora. He had lost Ur, as well, watching and powerless to do anything. And now he was going to watch, powerless, as he lost his third family.

"You do not know?" Zeref asked quietly, breaking through Gray's morbid thoughts. "Then I shall tell you. You will die, not a hero or a martyr, but a worthless, helpless, _weak_ mage."

"_But… I'm not strong like you are, Papa…"_

"_Not strong? Who says you're not strong?"_

_A pause. "Everyone."_

"_And that's why you hit him. To prove you were strong?"_

_Another pause before a quiet answer. "Yes."_

"_Did it work to prove your strength?"_

_Yet another pause before a quiet answer. "No…"_

"_Let me tell you something, son." A sigh. "_Strength _and _being strong _are two completely different things. '_Being strong_' as you've said I am, is only a physical characteristic. _Strength, _on the other hand, is what's on the _inside. Strength, _rather than being physically strong, is what allows a mage to stand in the presence of a demon and not fear the battle that is to come. _ _Anyone can be physically strong, but not everyone has inner strength. My point is, Gray, that I would much rather you be so strong on the inside that you don't have to be strong on the outside."_

"_Yeah, but people don't see strength on the inside…"_

"_Maybe not, but the will of a man is certainly more powerful than the muscle! You've told me how you want to be a mage. Always remember, if you do chose to follow that path, that magic bends to the will, not to the might. In the world of magic, inner strength is what matters more. If you have the strength to stand, and you tell yourself 'it's not over yet!' then you will not fail._

"_The strength of a mage is always determined by his will to fight – not his ability to fight. Remember that, Gray, and you will always be able to protect those whom you care about."_

Zeref turned to move away from Gray and in the direction of where the mages of Fiore were scattered. Seizing the scarlet hair of the first mage he happened upon, Zeref continued. "Whom shall I kill first, Gray Fullbuster? How about the beautiful Titania?" He clucked his tongue. "Such a waste…"

"You disgust me," a now-conscious Erza spat. She was still alive. Then… the others must be too? The thought was confirmed as mages began to stir in the rubble.

"I do?" Zeref spoke in mock sadness. "That's too bad… I'm still going to have your life, though…"

Gray had had enough. Clenching his hands into fists at his sides, he stepped forward.

Seeing the movement out of the corner of his eye, Zeref's attention was immediately drawn back to the Ice Mage. "Not finished trying to fight after all, eh?" he muttered to himself.

"You're wrong," Gray ground out from between clenched teeth.

"Excuse me?"

"A mage is only as strong as his will to fight," Gray continued. "When my back is up against the wall, Zeref, I will do what Fairy Tail mages have always done, since the very beginning of the guild: I will stand, and I will fight." His eyes rose to meet Zeref's gaze, dark orbs filled with undaunted determination.

"And I. Will. Not. Lose."

Zeref cracked a slightly nervous grin, releasing Erza's hair, causing the mage to fall back to the charred earth. "You have no magic that is capable of surpassing mine except for Dark Ice – and we've already discussed why it is you cannot use _that_. I don't see how you can win."

"I will win," Gray growled dangerously, "simply because I refuse to lose. You say I am weak, Zeref, but I just don't agree." Planting his left foot slightly behind him for balance, he moved his arms straight out from his sides, palms out, fingers pointed towards the dark skies above. Almost instantly, white-blue magic began to pulse around his being. "The strength of mage, Zeref," Gray spoke as magic whipped around him, "is measured by his motive. And I have plenty of motivation."

"And if it backfires on you," Zeref inquired, "what then?"

"It won't."

"You sound so confident." Zeref grinned, raising his own hand out in front of him. "But you forget one minor detail: I can control anything that is capable of destruction." He flicked his wrist to the side to dispel of the magic around Gray's being – and frowned deeply when nothing happened. The blue-white sphere continued to grow.

"As I've said," Gray smirked, "it won't fail." As he continued, his voice took on a double tone, a woman's voice layering over his. "What you have done, and what you were about to do, is unforgivable! And, for that, you will pay the ultimate price!" As magic continued to pulse around Gray's form, his eyes fell closed in concentration. His voice started out quietly, but quickly grew in volume and intensity.

"_Hārṭa himmata  
__Vila saṅkhyābaḷa  
__Bhaya nī ūṇḍā'ī  
__Pāvara nī ūṇḍā'ī  
__Vadhu nathī!_

"_Samaya amāpa  
__Mējika najanmēluṁ  
__Bhāva thījī  
__Kyārēya jāgr̥ta__  
__Ḍārka ā'isa!"_

A blinding blue-white light filled Magnolia.

Then: Nothing but black.


	11. Epilogue: Strength of a Thousand Men

**A/N: **I procrastinate writing endings so much because I hate ending stories. I am the kind of person who would write a never-never ending story if it were possible... And that is one of the reasons that, on a spur-of-the-moment inspiration, I will be writing a companion piece, _Waiting Between Worlds_. I also have other planned works for the Fairy Tail fandom, so, if you enjoyed this one, keep watch or visit my profile for a list of upcoming stories. (:

_Ch. Notes: _The only thing I have to say is this: The following is the English translation of the spell Gray recited at the end of the last chapter.  
Courage of Heart  
Strength of Will  
Depth of Fear  
Depth of Power  
NO MORE!

Time Unbounded  
Magic Unborn  
Frozen in Time  
Never to Awaken  
Dark Ice!

_Lang. Notes:_ The only thing I haven't used in a previous chapter is this big, long word: _A__rigatougozaimasu_ which means _thank you so much!_

_Mood Music: _For the whole chapter, The Truth by Audiomachine. (:

_Special Thanks: _Oh my goodness... If you are still reading this story, THANK YOU! I love you all for your reviews and faves and alerts; you guys are so freaking awesome! Seriously, my stories would die if no one ever reviewed. If you have ever reviewed, even just once, thank you all for your inspiration! :D

For reviewing last chapter: sereneskydragonslayer, ElodieKumari94, AsDarknessSpreads, and Rewinsan. For adding to faves/alerts: .925, AsDarknessSpreads, FairyTailWolf6, ztech, and Kira-writer.

_Disclaimer: _I have been so desperate for more that I have now read part of the manga. I have been so desperate for anime that I have buried myself in Shingeki no Kyojin and Suisie no Gargantia... In case you haven't figured it out yet, I don't own Fairy Tail because I didn't get the rights for my birthday like I'd hoped.

* * *

_Epilogue – Strength of a Thousand Men  
__February 7__th__, X785 – 2:54 PM_

Darkness. So thick, it blocked every sense. So dark, it was blinding. So silent, it was deafening. So dense it was all to be felt yet couldn't be felt at all. Sight, sound, sensation… The darkness prevented anything and everything.

It was maddening – made it impossible to tell where he was, what was going on, if he was even still _alive_. Was this what death felt like? Somehow he had pictured it differently.

It took only an instant, however – a debilitating flash of pain in his head – to let him know Earthland wasn't finished with him yet. Surely if he were dead he wouldn't be able to feel pain, after all. He couldn't help but groan, though if anyone heard or if it was just in his head, he didn't know. The darkness was still clogging his senses, but at least he now had the definite fact that he was still alive. Had it worked then? Was the war over? …Or was the war over because it had failed instead? Suddenly the maddening darkness seemed much more inviting than reality.

He didn't know how long he drifted in that absolute darkness, staring and seeing nothing, listening but not hearing a sound. How long had it been? Minutes? Hours? …Days? He didn't know, didn't have any sense of time passing at all. Every now and again, however, something would happen to remind him that he wasn't dead yet. A brief flash of pain somewhere in his body, a voice muffled by the darkness, even – though very rarely – a flash of light penetrated the vast expanse of black.

Yet, for some reason he couldn't understand, he couldn't reach that world. And he had tried, too. He had to know what had happened, wanted to know if everyone was alright. And, most of all, he was tired of the black abyss in which he appeared to be stuck. No matter how hard he tried, it seemed, he couldn't get out.

He didn't know how much time had passed; was it better to just give in? It would certainly be easier to give in to the black around him, to stay there forever. It was, he had to admit, rather peaceful. He didn't have to think or feel or see; he just _was. _

But then there was _them. _Those voices he could hear every now and again. One telling him to just _please wake up_; another telling him the guild wasn't the same without him there; yet another telling him to _wake up or else!_ He couldn't ignore those voices. But it would certainly be easier – it was certainly a temptation to ignore them, to stay there forever.

But that would be _giving up, _a little voice in his own head whispered. Since when have you given up just because something was beyond difficult?

He never had, it was true. But this… He couldn't reach them; he just couldn't. It wasn't possible.

…Or was it? Even as the thought had crossed his mind, that light had appeared again, but it didn't disappear almost instantly like every time before. In fact, it was actually growing brighter, growing larger, overcoming more and more of the darkness until it began to consume him as well. He hadn't realized he felt so numb until that moment when the warmth the light brought seeped into his being.

And then it faded again. It wasn't as bright, but he could feel the light still present, even from behind his closed eyelids. He could hear muffled voices, feel a breeze against his face. One temple ached, pounding in time with his heart. Underneath him, he could feel, was a bed. Was he in the infirmary of the guild? At home? The hospital? It didn't matter, he decided.

He tried to open his eyes only to find them glued shut. He almost could have laughed to himself at the thought that entered his mind: Only Natsu would ever think to try a prank like that – and he had when they were younger. He tried turning his head only to groan as the movement caused his temple ache more fiercely than before.

The sound, he suddenly realized, must have been audible because the muffled voices he had been hearing instantly stopped their hushed conversation. Light footfalls on a wooden floor, a hand on his, a quiet voice – one he instantly recognized – asking a hesitant question.

"Gray?"

There was no mistaking the worry that coated the female's tone. So much worry in _her _voice made him wonder just what had happened; it must have been bad… In that instant, every possibility rushed through his mind. Someone died… They lost their magic… He had failed, but, for some reason, Zeref had allowed them to live… No matter the outcome, it couldn't have been good…

But he had to know.

Slowly, painfully, he opened his eyes. Instantly blinded by the bright light, he snapped them shut again with a groan. He tried again after a moment, this time successfully blinking his eyes until they adjusted to the light. Even with his vision blurred, he had no trouble identifying the two mages with him. Sitting at his side, hand over his, scarlet hair framing her face just like always – Erza. Standing on his other side, pink hair the clear, unmistakable indicator – Natsu.

"Welcome back," Natsu grinned. "It's about time you finally woke up. Such a _baka_ – leaving everyone worried about you!"

"N-Natsu," Gray croaked – was that really his voice? It definitely didn't sound like it… "E-Erza… What…?"

"All in good time," Erza responded. "Just rest for now."

"But –…"

Erza gave him the death glare. "You are in no shape to be arguing with me, Gray." The glare softened as she turned to Natsu. "You should go tell everyone he's awake."

Natsu nodded but stopped as he turned to leave. "One thing I will say for you Gray," he murmured. "You really did it: You destroyed destruction itself, fought with the strength of a thousand men, doing what no one else was capable of." He continued to the door way of the infirmary before hesitating. "I'm glad you're okay," he added as he stepped through to the corridor, "but you'd better never do something so stupid ever again."

"Not like I had a choice," Gray huffed after him.

"Gray," Erza brought the Ice Mage's attention back to herself. "I have to agree with him – I'm sure the whole guild does." Her voiced dropped to a whisper, her gaze cast downward. "But… _Arigatougozaimasu!_ We all owe our lives to you…"

"Erza… What happened? Did it actually work then?"

"Hai, it worked," she replied, a smile playing at her lips. She raised her gaze from where her hand still rested on his to meet his glassy, half-lidded eyes. "We'll tell you all about it, Gray, _later. _ You should rest for now."

Gray couldn't argue; even though he'd just woken up, he could feel himself drifting towards sleep already. He nodded, allowing his eyes to fall shut again, sleep pulling him into its soft embrace.

* * *

Erza continued to stare, unthinking, at the slumbering form before her for some time after Gray had fallen sleep. So much had happened so quickly that the Requip Mage had scarcely had time to process it all. But now… Now everyone was safe, Gray included. As her gaze lingered on the minor cuts along his face, she allowed her mind to wander back…

_She was blinded by the sudden surge of blue-white light that suddenly seemed to engulf the ruined city. Then, as quickly as the light had come, it vanished leaving darkness so thick Erza wondered if she would ever see again. But slowly – oh so slowly! – her eyes adjusted._

_The Titania's heart sunk to her stomach at the sight that lay before her eyes._

"_You see?" Zeref cackled. "That spell is too strong for anyone to control! The only thing you have succeeded in doing is – well, nothing at all! Because, as you can see, I am the one left standing." The Black Mage turned to face the guild once again, a demonic smile lighting up his face like a Christmas tree. "Now what will you do Mages of Fiore?"_

"_No!" Erza breathed. He _couldn't have _failed. It was just _wasn't possible!_ She looked to the dark clouds above as if they held the answer. It wasn't supposed to end this way…_

_But then – the only word to describe the moment was 'miracle' – the sun broke through the wall of black clouds above her, a single ray shining down on the place Zeref stood and Gray now lay. It took only a moment for the sun's rays to break the clouds and illuminate what remained of Magnolia._

_Slightly stunned by the turn of events, no one could do anything except stare up at the sky as the sun continued to rise above them. However, one single word drew everyone's attentions immediately back._

"_No…" Zeref murmured. "No, this isn't possible!"_

_As Erza pushed herself up into a seated position, she watched the once fearless Black Mage begin to panic. And she smiled._

"_Gray failed did he?" she called out triumphantly, pulling herself shakily to her feet. "Then what are you waiting for, _Zeref?"

"_Yeah," Natsu mocked, catching on to what had happened as he, too, stood shakily to his feet. "Why don't you just finish us off now, huh?"_

"_What's the matter?" Lucy taunted, pushing herself up into a seated position. "Can't use your magic now? I wonder why that is…"_

"_I warned you," Makarov declared. "Mess with us and you'll see what a true Fairy Tail mage is made of! That's what you get for not listening I guess. Serves you right."_

"_Because when you mess with one of us," Elfman bellowed._

"_It only makes us that much stronger!" Juvia continued._

"_But," Levy added, "when you mess with all of us…"_

"_Gihi!" Gajeel finished, "You don't want to see what we can do!"_

Erza's thoughts snapped back to the present when she heard the door open. She smiled up at the older woman who entered. "He's asleep," she murmured.

Porlyusica smiled back. "I assumed as much." She shook her head with a sigh. "Took everything that I had to keep everyone from charging straight in here when Natsu brought the news. Everyone wants to strangle him and hug him at the same time, I think."

"Isn't that about the same thing?" Erza chuckled quietly. "They want to hug him so hard it could be considered strangling?"

"Perhaps," Porlyusica sighed again. "He seemed alright when he was awake then?"

"Yeah," Erza replied. "Tired, a little out of sorts, but nothing time won't heal."

"I'm glad. The outcome could have been much, _much _worse."

"How so? Other than the obvious, I mean…"

"The spell could have killed when he cast it, of course –" Erza nodded – "But it could have killed him after the fact as well. In all honesty, Erza, I'm not sure how he isn't dead. I'm sure you sensed it – how there wasn't a shred of magic left in his being. That alone should have killed him. The other option would be that he would, simply, never wake up, as I told you before."

"She must have been protecting him…"

"Oh?"

"Loriel's spirit I mean. After all, it _was_ her magic that was stored within him…" Erza shrugged. "That's the only solution I can come up with…"

"I suppose that makes about as much sense as everything else that has happened lately."

Erza smiled. "It doesn't really matter, does it? At least, it doesn't to me. The only important thing now is that everything can go back to normal."

Porlyusica scoffed. "Normal? Is there such a thing around this guild?"

"Maybe not," the Requip Mage conceded, "but I much prefer Kana's over-excessive drinking, Elfman's declarations of what is manly, Gajeel's loud eating, and Natsu and Gray's all-guild brawls."

"Ah, yes. _That _normal."

Erza shook her head. "I never thought I would find myself looking forward to it."

* * *

_Six Months Later_

The heat of summer had descended and settled, and Gray hated it. "Oi, Erza," he complained. "Do we really have to do this _today?"_

"Yes," came the firm reply. "As soon as we get done, you can spend the rest of the day in the pool at the guild. But _this has to be done today!"_

"I swear you picked the hottest day of the summer to drag me along on errand job…"

"You were just telling me yesterday how you were low on Jewel, so stop complaining. Besides, we don't even have to leave Magnolia. We'll be done in no time." She paused for a moment. "Ah! See? It's right up ahead."

Just as promised, the job took less than an hour so, an hour later, Gray could be found in the pool outside Fairy Tail Guild.

"Much better," he muttered to himself, beginning to enjoy himself.

"Oi! Popsicle!"

"Leave me alone, Flame Brain."

"What? You afraid of a little water war, Ice Pants?"

Gray was suddenly very much alert. He grinned. "Bring it on, Lizard Boy!"

As Erza and Lucy watched from the poolside, cold drinks in hand, Erza could hardly remember the horrors and fears of six months prior. No one – apart from Gray – had been critically injured, and, even then, the worst of his injures had been superficial. She could still remember him lying in the destroyed street, multiple lacerations streaked over his exposed skin. Porlyusica had guessed they had mostly been caused by the very magic he had summoned, but, in the end, they hadn't been as bad as they first appeared.

It all seemed like a distant nightmare now, yet she knew none of them would ever be the same after all of that. They never did come out unchanged after any of the trials they had been thrown into, after all – they were always so much stronger.

But this time, it wasn't just the guild. To Erza, it seemed as if the whole town had changed somehow – maybe even the whole of Fiore. For in those six months, the town had been rebuilt, but no one could deny that relationships between guilds had been built as well. It was strange – but it was a good strange, she had decided.

Everything had changed, it was true; but everything had truly changed for the better.

A wave of water from the pool so rudely – and suddenly – interrupted the mage's musings. It took a startled Erza a moment to figure out what had happened and, by that time, Lucy was already fuming and holding Natsu's head under the water. Gray and most of the other members who had joined the war were staring at Erza in fear of what was to come.

But all Erza could do was laugh.

Lucy paused in drowning Natsu, and everyone could only stare at her in shock. In a split second, Erza had requipped into her Water Goddess armor. "Alright, who was responsible for that?" While her voice hinted irritation, no one was fooled. The look in her eyes told them everything.

_Under the bright July sunshine, the distant nightmare faded and vanished._


End file.
